algin

[ al-jin ]

nounChemistry.
  1. any hydrophilic, colloidal substance found in or obtained from various kelps, as alginic acid or one of its soluble salts.

Origin of algin

1
First recorded in 1880–85; alg(ae) + -in2

Words Nearby algin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use algin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for algin

algin

/ (ˈældʒɪn) /


noun
  1. alginic acid or one of its esters or salts, esp the gelatinous solution obtained as a by-product in the extraction of iodine from seaweed, used in mucilages and for thickening jellies

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for algin

algin

[ ăljĭn ]


  1. A mucilaginous polysaccharide occurring in the cell walls of brown algae. Its derivatives are widely used as thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying, or suspending agents in industrial, pharmaceutical, and food products, such as ice cream.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.