polyvinyl alcohol

noun Chemistry.

a colorless, water-soluble, thermoplastic resin, derived by the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate: used chiefly as an adhesive and as a sizing agent in the manufacture of textiles, paper, and plastics.

Origin of polyvinyl alcohol

First recorded in 1925–30

Words nearby polyvinyl alcohol

polyvalent serum, polyvalent vaccine, polyvinyl, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl formal, polyvinyl resin, polyvinylidene