melamine
UK[ˈmeləmiːn]US[ˈmeləmiːn]
n
a white crystalline compound used in making plastics, adhesives, and surface coatings.
n
a hard plastic made from this compound, used especially for laminated surfaces.
Etymology
the word 'melamine' is a 19th-century scientific coinage. it was formed from the german word 'melam', the name of a chemical derivative of ammonia, combined with the chemical suffix '-ine' used to denote organic bases and other nitrogenous compounds. the term 'melam' itself is thought to be an arbitrary formation, possibly influenced by 'melamine's' relationship to 'ammeline', another chemical compound. thus, 'melamine' represents a modern, purpose-built lexical unit in scientific nomenclature, with its structure fixed at its creation rather than evolving from classical roots.
Analysis
this is a simplex word. it is a modern scientific formation, not composed of separable english morphemes.
Examples
the kitchen countertops are made of durable melamine.
the chemical formula for melamine is c3h6n6.
the recall was issued due to elevated levels of melamine in the product.