polyvinylalcohol

A form of polyvinyl alcohol — A water-soluble synthetic polymer prepared by partial or complete hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate to remove acetate groups, having many uses, including as an adhesive and surfactant and in freshwater angling.

OriginEnglish alcohol ← Middle English alcofol ← Medieval Latin alcoho →
Scrabble 32
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Meanings

noun
  1. alternativeAlternative form of polyvinyl alcohol.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
  3. Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
  4. Englishpoly-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*weh₁y-?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*wéyh₁ō
  7. Proto-Italic*wīnom
  8. Latinvīnum
  9. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  10. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  11. Englishvinyl
  12. Englishpolyvinyl
  13. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  14. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  15. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  16. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  17. Medieval Latinalcoho
  18. Middle Englishalcofol
  19. Englishalcohol
  20. Englishpolyvinylalcohol

From polyvinyl + alcohol.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

polyvinylalcohol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyvinylalcohol

MLA

“polyvinylalcohol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyvinylalcohol. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polyvinylalcohol,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polyvinylalcohol.

Source: polyvinylalcohol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.