mannitol

[ man-i-tawl, -tol ]

/ ˈmæn ɪˌtɔl, -ˌtɒl /

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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.

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Origin of mannitol

First recorded in 1875–80; mannite + -ol¹

Words nearby mannitol

Mannie, mannikin, Manning, mannish, mannite, mannitol, mannitol hexanitrate, mannose, Mann, Thomas, Mann-Whitney test, Manny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mannitol in a sentence

One noninvasive test that’s sometimes used measures the ratio of lactulose to mannitol—a marker of mucosal intestinal function—but Singh says it isn’t widely available.
What We Know About Leaky Gut Syndrome|Elaine K. Howley|March 9, 2022|Time

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 forms of mannitol

mannitic (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

Scientific 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.