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: 585; Total Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 31 mg; Sodium: 844 mg; Carbohydrates: 90 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 29 g.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

Carbohydrates constitute two-thirds to three-fourths of all common rations and nine-tenths of that amount is starch.

From The Dollar Hen by Hastings, Milo M. (Milo Milton)

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