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Glite Dictionary
polybutylene

polybutylene

1 9.9
A plastic used to make pipes, machine oils, and rubber products
  • noun
  • /ˌpɒliˈbjuːtəˌliːn/
  • Specialized
: polibutileno
  • Many homes built in the 1980s featured polybutylene pipes, which are now known to fail over time.

Examples

  • If you are considering buying a home that has polybutylene pipes, ask the sellers to lower the price to reflect the cost you will have to pay to replace them.

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  • The polybutylene piping used in the construction of the building has been linked to several leaks.

  • Do you have polybutylene pipes?

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  • Those, my friend, are polybutylene pipes.

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  • Polybutylene pipes were manufactured from 1978 to 1995.

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  • I had our plumber replace all the polybutylene pipes in our house, which were luckily limited to the laundry room addition.

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  • If you see a plumbing system with polybutylene pipes, it's wise to get them inspected before making a purchase.

Synonyms

polybutene
vspolybutylene
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A soft plastic used in glue, machine oil, and man-made rubber

focuses on piping system applications rather than bonding uses

Surface Forms

polybutylene singular
polybutylenes plural

Morphology

polybutylene = butylene (semi-transparent) = poly + butylene

The word is compositionally built from the chemical term 'butylene' with the prefix 'poly-', but the specialized polymer meaning is not fully transparent to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Polybutylene comes from poly- meaning 'many', the same poly- you see in polygon or polyglot, and butylene, a chemical name like butane for a 'molecule with four carbon atoms'. So polybutylene is a material made by joining many butylene parts together, which is why it is a flexible plastic often used in pipes and lubricants.