cellulose

[ sel-yuh-lohs ]

/ ˈsɛl yəˌloʊs /

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noun

an inert carbohydrate, (C6H10O5)n, the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants and of wood, cotton, hemp, paper, etc.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cellulose

1745–55; <New Latin cellul(a) live cell (see cellular) + -ose²

OTHER WORDS FROM cellulose

cel·lu·los·i·ty

[sel-yuh-los-i-tee], /ˌsɛl yəˈlɒs ɪ ti/, nounsem·i·cel·lu·lose, noun

Words nearby cellulose

cellule, cellulite, cellulitis, celluloid, cellulolytic, cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, cellulose triacetate, cellulosic, cell wall

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cellulose in a sentence

Preshredded cheese may contain cellulose to keep the cheese from sticking together.
Hints From Heloise: Meditation can help anyone deal with stress and anxiety|Heloise Heloise|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
If you absorb it into the cells of your body, it will interact with the molecules of floppy cellulose you already have, and this will create a very firm structure that will allow your cells to become like bricks.
Why Birds Can Fly Over Mount Everest - Issue 94: Evolving|Walter Murch|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
That is a reflection of the profile of the investors who dominate local markets, which are used to allocating assets to companies in sectors like oil, paper and cellulose, mining or utilities.
Will Brazil’s Roaring 20s see the rise of early-stage startups?|Walter Thompson|November 23, 2020|TechCrunch
Then the researchers mixed these and the cellulose with water.
‘Frozen smoke’ could protect electronics from annoying static|Sid Perkins|October 28, 2020|Science News For Students

The peat cellulose oxygen-18 values recorded in winter 2018 were the highest, and the sea ice extent the smallest, in the last 5,500 years, the team found.
Bering Sea winter ice shrank to its lowest level in 5,500 years in 2018|Carolyn Gramling|September 3, 2020|Science News
Just add methyl cellulose, a thickener that can withstand high temperatures.
Harvard Students Play With Food|Laura Colarusso|December 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In brief, film is a cellulose base coated with silver bromide and gelatine.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
If we were using a plate the only difference would be that instead of cellulose as a base we would have a sheet of glass.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
Or the sticks of cellulose, or the curved, wire device with fuzz at the ends?
The Planet Strappers|Raymond Zinke Gallun
The presence of a large amount of cellulose in the food enables us often to satisfy the appetite without injury from overeating.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler
Therefore, in order to add the much-needed bulk to the diet, foods that do contain cellulose should be served with eggs.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

British Dictionary definitions for cellulose

cellulose

/ (ˈsɛljʊˌləʊz, -ˌləʊs) /

noun

a polysaccharide consisting of long unbranched chains of linked glucose units: the main constituent of plant cell walls and used in making paper, rayon, and film

Derived forms of cellulose

cellulosic, adjective, noun

Word Origin for cellulose

C18: from French cellule cell (see cellule) + -ose ²

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

Scientific definitions for cellulose

cellulose

[ sĕl′yə-lōs′ ]

A carbohydrate that is a polymer composed of glucose units and that is the main component of the cell walls of most plants. It is insoluble in water and is used to make paper, cellophane, textiles, explosives, and other products.

See cellulose acetate.

Cultural definitions for cellulose

cellulose

[ (sel-yuh-lohs) ]

A stringy, fibrous substance that forms the main material in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose is an organic molecule (see also organic molecules), composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

cellulose

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Origin of cellulose

OTHER WORDS FROM cellulose

Words nearby cellulose

Words related to cellulose

How to use cellulose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cellulose

Derived forms of cellulose

Word Origin for cellulose

Scientific definitions for cellulose

Cultural definitions for cellulose