methyl cellulose

noun Chemistry.

a grayish-white powder prepared from cellulose that swells to a highly viscous colloidal solution in water: used as a food additive and in water paints, leather tanning, and cosmetics.

Origin of methyl cellulose

First recorded in 1920–25

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018