| opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England. |
| given to using long words. |
polytetrafluoroethylene (pŏl'ē-tět'rə-fl r'ō-ěth'ə-lēn', -flôr'-) Pronunciation Key
A synthetic polymer consisting of a chain of fluorinated ethane units (C2F4). It is a thermoplastic resin that is resistant to heat and chemicals and has an extremely low coefficient of friction (resistance to objects sliding over its surface). It is used as a coating on cookware, gaskets, seals, and hoses. |
polytetrafluoroethylene
a strong, tough, waxy, nonflammable resin belonging to the family of organic polymers, substances composed of large molecules formed by chemical combination of many small ones (monomers) into chains or networks. Known by the abbreviation PTFE or the trade name Teflon, it is distinguished by its complete indifference to attack by almost all chemicals and by its slippery surface; it retains its physical properties over a wide temperature range (-270 to 250 C, or -450 to 480 F). These qualities suit polytetrafluoroethylene to uses in gaskets, bearings, linings for containers and pipes, and parts for valves and pumps that must operate in corrosive environments and for protective coatings on cooking utensils, saw blades, and other articles
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