Vinyl is a strong plastic used for making things such as floor coverings and furniture.
...a modern vinyl floor covering.
...a reclining chair upholstered in shiny blue vinyl.
2. uncountable noun [oft onNOUN]
You can use vinyl to refer to records, especially in contrast to cassettes or compact discs.
The shop sold 20% of its music on vinyl.
...the vinyl format of the album.
vinyl in British English
(ˈvaɪnɪl)
noun
1. (modifier)
of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group of atoms CH2CH-
a vinyl polymer
vinyl chloride
2. (modifier)
of, consisting of, or made of a vinyl resin
a vinyl raincoat
3.
any vinyl polymer, resin, or plastic, esp PVC
4.
(collectively) conventional records made of vinyl as opposed to compact discs
Word origin
C19: from vini- + -yl
vinyl in American English
(ˈvaɪnəl)
noun
1.
the monovalent radical CH2:CH characteristic of many derivatives of ethylene, its hydride
2.
a resin or plastic formed from a polymerized vinyl compound
3. Informal
phonograph records made of vinyl plastic, carbon black, etc.
Word origin
< L vinum, wine (see vine) + -yl
Examples of 'vinyl' in a sentence
vinyl
It follows the news that 3m vinyl records were sold last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Listeners spent 2.4 million on vinyl albums last week while spending only 2.1 million on digital downloads.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He had two other albums in the vinyl top ten.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the main draw is its ability to convert vinyl to digital formats.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Vinyl flooring formed an important element of the game.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
Vinyl sales are at their highest for six years.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Vinyl records and rugs for horses had spilled from the hold.
The Sun (2014)
It saw off the vinyl record and the video cassette.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He compared the phenomenon to the continued preference of some people for music from vinyl records heard through a gramophone.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Digital has come along and replaced CDs and vinyl.
The Sun (2010)
This has to be done on a slippery floor - vinyl works well.
The Sun (2012)
CD and vinyl will continue to be popular with certain groups for a long time to come.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The fastest and easiest way to transfer vinyl direct to CD!
The Sun (2008)
I have about 20,000 vinyl albums and am enjoying a new record lounge we finished in our home.
The Sun (2013)
We've seen an increase in vinyl sales, for example.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
After the final show, the painting will be split into hundreds of limited-edition vinyl albums.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Vinyl sales rose 50 per cent as CDs and downloads slumped in a year.
The Sun (2015)
The bathroom floors are vinyl, which seems a bit mean, and there are no fitted wardrobes.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Sales of vinyl albums now account for 3.9 per cent of music sales, double the amount a year ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Very recently I was going through some old vinyl albums and came across an original copy of Camelot.
The Sun (2007)
The rise of streaming music and video and the popularity of smartphone games has been accompanied by an unexpected revival of the old-fashioned vinyl LP.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
vinyl
British English: vinyl NOUN
Vinyl is a strong plastic used for making things such as floor coverings and furniture.
...a modern vinyl floor covering.
American English: vinyl
Brazilian Portuguese: vinil
Chinese: 乙烯基塑料
European Spanish: vinilo
French: vinyle
German: Vinyl
Italian: vinile
Japanese: ビニル
Korean: 비닐
European Portuguese: vinil
Latin American Spanish: vinilo
All related terms of 'vinyl'
vinyl resin
any one of a class of thermoplastic materials, esp PVC and polyvinyl acetate , made by polymerizing vinyl compounds
vinyl acetate
a colourless volatile liquid unsaturated ester that polymerizes readily in light and is used for making polyvinyl acetate . Formula: CH 2 :CHOOCCH 3
vinyl alcohol
an alcohol , CH 2 :CHOH, known only in the form of its esters or ethers, or its polymer , polyvinyl alcohol
vinyl plastic
any of various plastics made from polymerized vinyl compounds or copolymers of vinyl and other resins , used in various molded or extruded products, coatings , adhesives , sizes, etc.
vinyl chloride
a colourless flammable gaseous unsaturated compound made by the chlorination of ethylene and used as a refrigerant and in the manufacture of PVC; chloroethylene; chloroethene. Formula: CH:CHCl
polyvinyl resin
any of a class of thermoplastic resins that are made by polymerizing or copolymerizing a vinyl compound. The commonest type is PVC