xylan

[ zahy-lan ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. the pentosan occurring in woody tissue that hydrolyzes to xylose: used as a source of furfural.

xylan

/ ˈzaɪlæn /

noun

1. biochem a yellow polysaccharide consisting of xylose units: occurs in straw husks and other woody tissue

Word History and Origins

Origin of xylan¹

1890–95; < Greek xýl ( on ) wood + -an, variant of -ane

Example Sentences

The pentosans, araban and xylan, occur normally in the stems and outer seed coats of many common plants.

From Project Gutenberg