styrene

[ stahy-reen, steer-een ]

nounChemistry.
  1. a colorless, water-insoluble liquid, C8H8, having a penetrating aromatic odor, usually prepared from ethylene and benzene or ethylbenzene, that polymerizes to a clear transparent material and copolymerizes with other materials to form synthetic rubbers.

Origin of styrene

1
First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin styr- stem of styrax (see storax) + -ene

Words Nearby styrene

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How to use styrene in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for styrene

styrene

/ (ˈstaɪriːn) /


noun
  1. a colourless oily volatile flammable water-insoluble liquid made from ethylene and benzene. It is an unsaturated compound and readily polymerizes: used in making synthetic plastics and rubbers. Formula: C 6 H 5 CH:CH 2: See also polystyrene

Origin of styrene

1
C20: from styr (ax) + -ene

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for styrene

styrene

[ stīrēn′ ]


  1. A colorless, oily aromatic hydrocarbon that readily undergoes polymerization. It is used in making polystyrene, polyesters, synthetic rubber, and other products. Chemical formula: C8H8.

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