polistirolo

polystyrene; styrofoam

noun poh-lee-stee-ROH-loh Rare

Usage Note

Polistirolo is the generic Italian term for expanded polystyrene foam (known commercially as Styrofoam in the US). It is always masculine and does not change in the plural (i polistiroli, though the material is typically used as an uncountable mass noun). Learners may encounter it as a compound in polistirolo espanso (expanded polystyrene).

Examples

"La scatola era piena di polistirolo."

Natural Translation

The box was full of polystyrene.

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