sorbitol

American

[sawr-bi-tawl, -tol] / ˈsɔr bɪˌtɔl, -ˌtɒl /

noun

Biochemistry.

a white, crystalline, sweet, water-soluble powder, C 6 H 8 (OH) 6 , occurring in cherries, plums, pears, seaweed, and many berries, obtained by the breakdown of dextrose and used as a sugar substitute for diabetics and in the manufacture of vitamin C, synthetic resins, candy, varnishes, etc.; sorbol.

sorbitol British

/ ˈsɔːbɪˌtɒl /

noun

a white water-soluble crystalline alcohol with a sweet taste, found in certain fruits and berries and manufactured by the catalytic hydrogenation of sucrose: used as a sweetener ( E420 ) and in the manufacture of ascorbic acid and synthetic resins. Formula: C 6 H 8 (OH) 6

"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

sorbitol Scientific

/ sôr′bĭ-tôl′,-tōl′ /

A white, sweetish, crystalline alcohol found in various berries and fruits or prepared synthetically. It is used as a flavoring agent, a sugar substitute for people with diabetes, and a moisturizer in cosmetics and other products. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₄ O ₆ .

Etymology

Origin of sorbitol

First recorded in 1890–95; sorb ¹ + -itol

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

sorbitol

Patti described sorbitol as being essentially "one transformation away from fructose," meaning the body can convert it into a closely related form that may produce similar effects.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

The researchers performed experiments in zebrafish to trace what happens to sorbitol inside the body.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

The new findings raise concerns about sorbitol because of how closely it is connected to fructose metabolically.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

For that reason, sorbitol production has historically been associated with diabetes, where blood glucose can reach high levels.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

It does not occur free in plants, but is the first oxidation product from the hexatomic alcohol, sorbitol, which is present in the juice of the berries of the mountain-ash.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023