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dextrin

[ dek-strin ]
/ ˈdɛk strɪn /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dextrin ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Biochemistry, Chemistry.

a soluble, gummy substance, formed from starch by the action of heat, acids, or ferments, occurring in various forms and having dextrorotatory properties: used chiefly as a thickening agent in printing inks and food, as a mucilage, and as a substitute for gum arabic and other natural substances.

RELATED WORDS

sugar, starch, lactose, glucose, cellulose, galactose, glycogen, monosaccharide, disaccharide, sucrose, maltose, fructose, dextrose, polysaccharide

Nearby words

  1. dextrality,
  2. dextrally,
  3. dextran,
  4. dextranase,
  5. dextrase,
  6. dextrin 6-alpha-glucosidase,
  7. dextrin dextranase,
  8. dextrinase,
  9. dextrine,
  10. dextrinosis
Also dex·trine [dek-strin, -streen] /ˈdɛk strɪn, -strin/.

Origin of dextrin

From the French word dextrine, dating back to 1825–35. See dextr-, -in2
Also called British gum.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dextrin

British Dictionary definitions for dextrin

dextrin

dextrine (ˈdɛkstrɪn, -triːn)

/ (ˈdɛkstrɪn) /

noun

any of a group of sticky substances that are intermediate products in the conversion of starch to maltose: used as thickening agents in foods and as gums

Word Origin for dextrin

C19: from French dextrine; see dextro-, -in
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

Medicine definitions for dextrin

dextrin

[ dĕk′strĭn ]

n.

Any of various soluble polysaccharides obtained from starch by the application of heat or acids and used mainly as adhesives and thickening agents.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.