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

How to use cellulose in a sentence

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
[ sĕlyə-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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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