oligosaccharide

[ ol-i-goh-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid ]

/ ˌɒl ɪ goʊˈsæk əˌraɪd, -rɪd /

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noun Chemistry.

any carbohydrate yielding few monosaccharides on hydrolysis, as two, three, or four.

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Origin of oligosaccharide

First recorded in 1925–30; oligo- + saccharide

Words nearby oligosaccharide

oligopnea, oligopoly, oligopsony, oligoptyalism, oligoria, oligosaccharide, oligospermia, oligosynaptic, oligotrophia, oligotrophic, oligotrophy

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British Dictionary definitions for oligosaccharide

oligosaccharide

/ (ˌɒlɪɡəʊˈsækəˌraɪd, -rɪd) /

noun

any one of a class of carbohydrates consisting of a few monosaccharide units linked togetherCompare polysaccharide

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

Medical definitions for oligosaccharide

oligosaccharide

[ ŏl′ĭ-gō-săk′ə-rīd′ ]

A carbohydrate that consists of a relatively small number of monosaccharides.

Scientific definitions for oligosaccharide

oligosaccharide

[ ŏl′ĭ-gō-săk′ə-rīd′, ō′lĭ- ]

A carbohydrate consisting of a relatively small and specifiable number of monosaccharides joined together. Lactose, maltose, and sucrose are oligosaccharides consisting of two simple sugars. Raffinose is an oligosaccharide consisting of three simple sugars. Compare monosaccharide polysaccharide.