fructose

American  

[fruhk-tohs, frook-, frook-] / ˈfrʌk toʊs, ˈfrʊk-, ˈfruk- /

noun

1. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a yellowish to white, crystalline, water-soluble, levorotatory ketose sugar, C 6 H 12 O 6 , sweeter than sucrose, occurring in invert sugar, honey, and a great many fruits: used in foodstuffs and in medicine chiefly in solution as an intravenous nutrient.

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fructose British  

/ -təʊz, ˈfrʌktəʊs, ˈfrʊk- /

noun

1. Also called: laevulose.   fruit sugar.  a white crystalline water-soluble sugar occurring in honey and many fruits. Formula: C 6 H 12 O 6

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fructose Scientific  

/ frŭk′tōs′ /

1. A simple sugar (monosaccharide) found in honey, many fruits, and some vegetables. Fructose linked to glucose is the structure of table sugar, or sucrose. Fructose is an important source of energy for cellular processes. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ .

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Etymology

Origin of fructose

First recorded in 1860–65; fruct- + -ose ²

Explanation

Fructose is a kind of sugar. You consume fructose every time you eat an apple or a bunch of grapes, or when you stir honey into your tea and take a sip. Fructose is also known as "fruit sugar" because it's present in most types of fruit. Chemically, fructose is a simple or hexose sugar, one with six carbon atoms in it, and it's absorbed directly into your bloodstream when you eat it. It's also one of the very sweetest sugars. The word dates from 1857, from the Latin fructus, or "fruit," and the suffix -ose, used in chemical names of sugars.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fructose

Researchers examined whether total fructose intake and the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice and whole fruit were associated with self-reported diagnoses of high blood pressure.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

The study, published June 10 in the journal Neuron, identified a specific signaling route that allows fructose to communicate with the brain.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

The team found that fructose increased levels of the gut hormone PYY.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026

The researchers also note that fructose exposure is not limited to food and beverages alone.

From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026

It’s a blend of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose that tastes exactly as sweet as table sugar.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• cellulose
• glucose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar