carbohydrates

Cultural

Substances composed of long chains of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon molecules. Sugar, starch, and cellulose are all carbohydrates. In the human body, carbohydrates play a major role in respiration; in plants, they are important in photosynthesis.

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Carbohydrates in food provide energy for the body and, if present in excess, are stored as fat.

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.

Carbohydrates make up the largest share of most diets, providing about 55% of daily energy intake.

From Science Daily • Jan. 27, 2026

Carbohydrates - the body's primary energy source during endurance activities - are key to race preparation, during the race, and recovery.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Carbohydrates were what was going to keep us healthy, thin and disease-free.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2023

Calories: 360; Total Fat: 25 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 7 mg; Sodium: 988 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 23 g.

From Washington Post • Apr. 13, 2023

Carbohydrates mainly serve as fuel, owing to the large percentage of carbon they contain, which readily unites with the oxygen.

From The Royal Road to Health by Tyrrell, Charles Alfred

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