noun
Common
vinyl
VEYE-nihl
Vinyl (noun) means a type of tough, flexible plastic, or a product made from it, such as flooring or upholstery. Example: “The car seats were covered in cracked black vinyl.”
noun
1
A type of tough, flexible plastic, or a product made from it, such as flooring or upholstery.
"The car seats were covered in cracked black vinyl."
"They chose easy-to-clean vinyl for the bathroom floor."
"The kitchen floor was covered in grey vinyl."
2
Music recorded on phonograph records, or the records themselves, as opposed to digital formats.
"My uncle says music simply sounds warmer on vinyl than it does online."
"He still buys his favourite albums on vinyl."
"The shop specialises in second-hand vinyl from the 1970s."
How to use vinyl
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a tough plastic material, or records (as opposed to CDs or streaming).
Common pairings
buy it on vinyl
vinyl records
vinyl flooring
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Word forms
- Plural
- vinyls
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The car seats were covered in cracked black _____.
Etymology
From Latin vīnum ("wine") + the chemical suffix -yl, because the vinyl group is chemically related to ordinary (ethyl) alcohol found in wine.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “vinyl” mean?
The word “vinyl” means a type of tough, flexible plastic, or a product made from it, such as flooring or upholstery. In plain terms, either a tough plastic material, or records (as opposed to CDs or streaming).
How do you pronounce “vinyl”?
“Vinyl” is pronounced VEYE-nihl (/ˈvaɪ.nɪl/ in IPA).
How do you use “vinyl” in a sentence?
Here is “vinyl” used in a sentence: “The kitchen floor was covered in grey vinyl.”
What part of speech is “vinyl”?
“Vinyl” is a noun.
Where does the word “vinyl” come from?
The word “vinyl” comes from Latin. From Latin vīnum ("wine") + the chemical suffix -yl, because the vinyl group is chemically related to ordinary (ethyl) alcohol found in wine.
Is “vinyl” a common word?
“Vinyl” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “vinyl” have?
“Vinyl” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a type of tough, flexible plastic, or a product made from it, such as flooring or upholstery.
Is "vinyls" a word?
Most record collectors treat vinyl as an uncountable noun: you buy vinyl, own records, or have a vinyl collection. "Vinyls" does appear in casual use, but it is widely considered nonstandard, so careful writers say "vinyl records" or simply "records" instead.
What is the difference between vinyl and a record?
In music the two overlap: a record is the individual disc, while vinyl names the plastic it is made from and serves as a collective term for the format, as in "I collect vinyl." Vinyl also distinguishes the physical analogue format from digital music such as streaming or CDs.
What is the difference between vinyl and PVC?
In everyday product names such as vinyl flooring, vinyl siding, and vinyl upholstery, vinyl generally refers to PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a tough, flexible plastic. PVC is the chemical name, while vinyl is the common commercial term.
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