glucose

American  

[gloo-kohs] / ˈglu koʊs /

noun

Biochemistry.

glucoses plural

1. a sugar, C 6 H 12 O 6 , having several optically different forms, the common dextrorotatory form dextroglucose, or d-glucose occurring in many fruits, animal tissues and fluids, etc., and having a sweetness about one half that of ordinary sugar, and the rare levorotatory form levoglucose, or l-glucose not naturally occurring.

2. Also called starch syrup.  a syrup containing dextrose, maltose, and dextrine, obtained by the incomplete hydrolysis of starch.

---

glucose British  

/ -kəʊs, ˈɡluːkəʊz, ɡluːˈkɒsɪk /

noun

1. a white crystalline monosaccharide sugar that has several optically active forms, the most abundant being dextrose: a major energy source in metabolism. Formula: C 6 H 12 O 6

2. a yellowish syrup (or, after desiccation, a solid) containing dextrose, maltose, and dextrin, obtained by incomplete hydrolysis of starch: used in confectionery, fermentation, etc

---

glucose Scientific  

/ glo̅o̅′kōs′ /

1. A monosaccharide sugar found in plant and animal tissues. Glucose is a product of photosynthesis, mostly incorporated into the disaccharide sugar sucrose rather than circulating free in the plant. Glucose is essential for energy production in animal cells. It is transported by blood and lymph to all the cells of the body, where it is metabolized to form carbon dioxide and water along with ATP, the main source of chemical energy for cellular processes. Glucose molecules can also be linked into chains to form the polysaccharides cellulose, glycogen, and starch. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₂ O ₆ .

2. See more at cellular respiration Krebs cycle photosynthesis

---

glucose Cultural  

1. The most common form of sugar, found extensively in the bodies of living things; a molecule composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen.

---

Discover More

Glucose is involved in the production of energy in both plants and animals.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonglucose
  noun
• glucosic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• glucoses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of glucose

Coined in 1838 by French chemist Jean-Baptiste André Dumas; from French, from Greek gleûkos “sweet new wine” (akin to glykýs “sweet”; see glyco-)

Compare meaning

How does glucose compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glycogen vs. glucose
• dextrose vs. glucose
• mannose vs. glucose

Explanation

Glucose is simple sugar. It's all kinds of sugar, and it's in your blood, and your body needs it for energy. Most Americans sadly consume far more glucose than necessary, and have enlarged gluteus maximus muscles to show for it. The word glucose is based on an ancient Greek word gleukos which meant "sweet delightful wine." When you're popping one glucose-laden Girl Scout Cookie after another into your mouth, you certainly do feel that delight. You'll probably see the word glucose plenty in biochemistry textbooks. Glucose needs to be in your blood, and a healthy balance of it in your body is indeed as delightful as wine to those ancient Greeks.

Example Sentences

People with type 1 diabetes must monitor their blood glucose levels and administer insulin, either through injections or a pump, to replace the hormone their bodies can no longer produce enough of.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

These breakfasts produce a rapid glucose spike and an insulin response early in the day.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026

A walk after dinner, meaning 10 to 20 minutes of light movement, already consistently blunts unhealthy post-meal glucose spikes.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026

But Hong Kong-based startup PointFit offers a less intrusive alternative using an adhesive patch, whose tiny sensor reads levels of biomarkers like glucose and cortisol from the sweat on users' skin.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

By 1866, the mill owners had learned how to break down cornstarch into a kind of sugar called glucose.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• cellulose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar