hemicellulose

American  

[hem-i-sel-yuh-lohs] / ˌhɛm ɪˈsɛl yəˌloʊs /

noun

1. any of a group of gummy polysaccharides, intermediate in complexity between sugar and cellulose, that hydrolyze to monosaccharides more readily than cellulose.

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hemicellulose British  

/ ˌhɛmɪˈsɛljʊˌləʊz /

noun

1. any of a group of plant polysaccharides that occur chiefly in the cell wall

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Etymology

Origin of hemicellulose

First recorded in 1890–95; hemi- + cellulose

Example Sentences

Bamboo contains several types of dietary fiber, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

The team then used a hot press, an industrial vise for making wood composites, to compress the remaining cellulose and hemicellulose components together.

From Science Magazine • May 23, 2019

Wood consists of three main components: cellulose and hemicellulose, which form long strawlike structures, and lignin, which acts as a glue holding the straw strands together.

From Science Magazine • May 23, 2019

Because hemicellulose naturally absorbs a lot of moisture, the effect was that the instruments had about 25 percent less water in them than more recent models.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2016

The loss due to the latter may be neglected, but in calculating the hemicellulose constants from the gross loss the proteids and mineral constituents require to be taken into account in the usual way.

From Researches on Cellulose 1895-1900 by Cross, C. F.