polyester

polyester — noun

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • cotton

    natural plant fibre, usually cooler and more breathable

  • wool

    natural fibre, usually warmer and heavier

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

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.名詞C2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

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.