carbohydrate

[kahr-boh-hahy-dreyt, -buh-]

noun

1. any of a class of organic compounds that are polyhydroxy aldehydes or polyhydroxy ketones, or change to such substances on simple chemical transformations, as hydrolysis, oxidation, or reduction, and that form the supporting tissues of plants and are important food for animals and people.

carbohydrate

/ ˌkɑːbəʊˈhaɪdreɪt /

noun

1. Informal term: carb. any of a large group of organic compounds, including sugars, such as sucrose, and polysaccharides, such as cellulose, glycogen, and starch, that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with the general formula C m (H 2 O) n: an important source of food and energy for animals

carbohydrate

1. Any of a large class of organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually with twice as many hydrogen atoms as carbon or oxygen atoms. Carbohydrates are produced in green plants by photosynthesis and serve as a major energy source in animal diets. Sugars, starches, and cellulose are all carbohydrates.

Other Word Forms

• noncarbohydrate noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of carbohydrate¹

First recorded in 1865–70; carbo- + hydrate

Example Sentences

When it is not possible to keep rooms heated to 18C, he recommends wearing gloves, warm socks and a woolly hat, eating a higher carbohydrate diet and generating more body heat by moving around.

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Modern fungi form symbiotic partnerships with most plants, supplying them with nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates.

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"Our findings show that symptoms are more often triggered by fermentable carbohydrates, commonly known as FODMAPs, by other wheat components or by people's expectations and prior experiences with food."

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Those who ate more fruits and vegetables -- and consumed more complex carbohydrates such as whole grains -- experienced longer periods of deep, undisturbed sleep.

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Both diets contained equal proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

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Related Words

• cellulose 
• glucose 
• lactose 
• starch 
• sugar 

When To Use

What is a carbohydrate?

A carbohydrate is an organic compound that is made of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Most carbohydrates have twice as much hydrogen as oxygen and carbon.In chemistry, a compound is a pure substance of two or more elements stuck together. An organic compound is a compound that contains hydrogen and carbon (hydrocarbons).Carbohydrates are extremely important to life and neither plants nor animals would be able to survive without them. Fortunately, carbohydrates are abundant in nature.Both the cell walls of plants and the tissues of animals are made partly out of carbohydrates. Additionally, both plants and animals use carbohydrates to produce and store energy. Without carbohydrates, neither plant nor animal cells could function and both would quickly die.Carbohydrates come from green plants as a product of the process known as photosynthesis in which plants combine carbon dioxide and water. Typically, animals get their carbohydrates by eating the plants, eating the fruits and vegetables of the plant, or eating other animals.It is very common in nutritional discussions to shorten carbohydrates to carbs.