polystyrene

noun

poly·​sty·​rene ˌpä-lē-ˈstī-ˌrēn 

: a polymer of styrene

especially : a rigid transparent thermoplastic that has good physical and electrical insulating properties and is used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials

Examples of polystyrene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seeking a way to put all that polystyrene waste to use, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), in collaboration with Riga Technical University in Latvia, have invented a thin patch made out of multiple layers of the material. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2024

First, a single layer of polystyrene beads is arranged in a hexagonal pattern on a quartz substrate. —New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2024

And another!) and dialogue that works like polystyrene stuffing, filling the cracks with Modi’s half-baked musings on the happy lives of pigeons or long quotes from Charles Baudelaire, poet and patron saint of dissipation. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024

If the products are contaminated with other plastics, such as PVC or polystyrene, the outcome isn’t good. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

polystyrene

noun

poly·​sty·​rene ˌpäl-i-ˈstī(ə)r-ˌēn 

: a stiff transparent plastic used chiefly in molded products, foams, and sheet materials

Medical Definition

polystyrene

noun

poly·​sty·​rene ˌpäl-i-ˈstī(ə)r-ˌēn 

: a polymer of styrene

especially : a rigid transparent thermoplastic that has good physical and electrical insulating properties and is used especially in molded products, foams, and sheet materials