From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpolystyrenepol‧y‧sty‧rene /ˌpɒlɪˈstaɪriːn◂ $ ˌpɑː-/ noun [uncountable] British EnglishHCP a soft light plastic material that prevents heat or cold from passing through it, used especially for making containers
Examples from the Corpus
polystyrene• polystyrene cups• Approximate measurements of the enthalpy change for reactions in solution can be made using a simple calorimeter such as a polystyrene beaker.• Thus atactic polystyrene is amorphous but isotactic polystyrene is semi-crystalline.• In houses particularly prone to condensation, you can cover walls with a thin layer of polystyrene before applying wallpaper.• The recycling of polystyrene, for instance, requires temperatures above 200C and the materials are extensively filtered during the procedure.• Felt pretty chipper, as we scraped together enough coins to buy a shared polystyrene cup of milky tea.• Cesar lifted the polystyrene garden of Red Riding Hood, dropped it to the floor and put his foot through it.• I will use a wooden shed lined with polystyrene, possibly with one double-glazed window in the roof.Origin polystyrene (1900-2000) poly- + styrene type of chemical compound ((19-21 centuries)) (from Latin styrax type of plant) 