erythritol

[ ih-rith-ri-tawl, -tol ]

/ ɪˈrɪθ rɪˌtɔl, -ˌtɒl /

noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.

a white, crystalline, water-soluble, sweet-tasting, tetrahydroxyl compound, C4H10O4, related to the carbohydrates, obtained from certain lichens and used for coronary vasodilation and in the treatment of hypertension.

Nearby words

erythredema, erythremia, erythremic myelosis, erythrism, erythrite, erythritol, erythro-, erythroblast, erythroblastemia, erythroblastopenia, erythroblastosis

Origin of erythritol

First recorded in 1890–95; erythrite + -ol¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for erythritol

erythritol

erythrite

/ (ɪˈrɪθrɪˌtɒl) /

noun

a sweet crystalline compound extracted from certain algae and lichens and used in medicine to dilate the blood vessels of the heart; 1,2,3,4-butanetetrol. Formula: C 4 H 10 O 4

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