mannitol

[ man-i-tawl, -tol ]

/ ˈmæn ɪˌtɔl, -ˌtɒl /

noun

Chemistry. a white, crystalline, sweetish, water-soluble, carbohydrate alcohol, C6H8(OH)6, occurring in three optically different forms, the common one being found in the manna of the ash Fraxinus ornus and in other plants: used chiefly in the manufacture of resins, electrolytic condensers for radios, plasticizers, and mannitol hexanitrate, and as a pill excipient.

Pharmacology. the substance used as an osmotic diuretic to reduce intraocular and intracranial pressures.

Nearby words

manning, manning, henry edward, mannish, mannishly, mannite, mannitol, mannitol hexanitrate, mannose, mannosidosis, manny, mano

Origin of mannitol

First recorded in 1875–80; mannite + -ol¹

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

British Dictionary definitions for mannitol

mannitol

mannite (ˈmænaɪt)

/ (ˈmænɪˌtɒl) /

noun

a white crystalline water-soluble sweet-tasting alcohol, found in plants and used in diet sweets and as a dietary supplement (E421). Formula: C 6 H 14 O 6

Derived Formsmannitic (məˈnɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for mannitol

from mannose + -ite ² + -ol 1

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 mannitol

mannitol

[ măn′ĭ-tôl′, -tōl′ ]

n.

A white, crystalline, water-soluble, slightly sweet alcohol, used as a dietary supplement and dietetic sweetener and in medical tests of renal function.

Science definitions for mannitol

mannitol

[ măn′ĭ-tôl′, -tōl′ ]

A white, crystalline, water-soluble, slightly sweet alcohol that is used as a dietary supplement and dietetic sweetener and in medical tests of kidney function. Mannitol occurs naturally as an important food storage and transportation molecule in brown algae like kelp. Chemical formula: C6H14O6.