polyester

IPA/ˌpɒliˈestə(r)/
KK[pˌɑlˌiˈɛstɚ]IPA/ˈpɑːliestər/

polyester — noun

  • polyestersingular
  • polyestersplural

1. a man-made substance, often spun into fabric, used in things like shirts, bags,

1.nounB2
Definition

a man-made substance, often spun into fabric, used in things like shirts, bags, and tents.

Example

Lina chose a polyester jacket because it dried quickly after the rain.

polyester + clothing item

The hotel uses white polyester sheets that stay smooth after many washes.

common noun pair: polyester sheets

Common collocations
  • polyester jacket
  • polyester sheets
  • polyester tent
  • made of polyester
  • 100% polyester
Synonyms
  • synthetic fibre

    broader term; polyester is one common kind

  • PET

    technical name for a widely used polyester, especially in bottles and fibres

  • man-made fabric

    looser everyday phrase when talking about cloth rather than chemistry

Antonyms
  • cotton

    natural plant fibre, usually cooler and more breathable

  • wool

    natural fibre, usually warmer and heavier

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the material in everyday use, as in 'made of polyester'. Countable use is mainly for technical or trade contexts when comparing different kinds.

Common Mistakes

This shirt is a polyester.
This shirt is made of polyester.
polyester usually names the material, not the finished object.

2. a type of chemical substance made of very long chains of repeated parts, joined

2.nounC2
Definition

a type of chemical substance made of very long chains of repeated parts, joined by a kind of chemical link called an ester.

Example

Dr Lin explained that a polyester has ester links in its chain.

technical pattern: polyester + ester links

The lab tested two polyesters before choosing one for the new bottle.

countable use in technical comparison

Common collocations
  • a polyester chain
  • polyester resin
  • unsaturated polyester
  • two polyesters
  • a strong polyester
Synonyms
  • polymer

    much broader scientific term; polyester is only one type

  • resin

    used when the polyester forms part of a coating or plastic mixture

  • PET

    a common commercial polyester, not the whole class

Usage Note

Mostly found in chemistry or manufacturing texts. In ordinary speech, people usually mean sense 1, the material used in cloth and other products. Technical writing often uses the plural when comparing types.

Common Mistakes

My dress is made of a polyester.
My dress is made of polyester.
for ordinary clothing, use the material sense in sense 1, not the technical countable sense.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Polyester is a broad everyday word for a man-made fibre or fabric used in clothes, bags, and household goods. In shops, it can name either the fibre itself or the main material on a clothing label. Nylon is usually smoother and tougher, so it is common in sportswear, rope, and travel gear. Acrylic is lighter and warmer in feel, often used where a wool-like texture is wanted. Rayon is softer and hangs more naturally, but it may not last as well as polyester. Cotton is not synthetic, but learners often compare it with polyester because both are common clothing materials: cotton feels cooler and more breathable, while polyester dries faster and wrinkles less. Choose a polyester jacket for rainy weather, but a cotton shirt for a hot day.

nylon ↗acrylic ↗rayoncotton ↗

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Polyester was formed in modern English as a scientific word. It combines poly-, from Greek, meaning 'many', with ester, the name of a chemical compound. Chemists first used it for a class of polymers with many ester links, and from that technical meaning it became the everyday word for the fibre and fabric made from those substances.

First known use

1922

1922, in the meaning defined above Adjective