pectin

American  

[pek-tin] / ˈpɛk tɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a white, amorphous, colloidal carbohydrate of high molecular weight occurring in ripe fruits, especially in apples, currants, etc., and used in fruit jellies, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics for its thickening and emulsifying properties and its ability to solidify to a gel.

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pectin British  

/ ˈpɛktɪn /

noun

1. biochem any of the acidic hemicelluloses that occur in ripe fruit and vegetables: used in the manufacture of jams because of their ability to solidify to a gel when heated in a sugar solution (may be referred to on food labels as E440 ( a ))

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pectin Scientific  

/ pĕk′tĭn /

1. Any of a group of carbohydrate substances found in the cell walls of plants and in the tissue between certain plant cells. Pectin is produced by the ripening of fruit and helps the ripe fruit remain firm. As the fruit overripens, the pectin breaks down into simple sugars (monosaccharides) and the fruit loses its shape and becomes soft. Pectins can be made to form gels, and are used in certain medicines and cosmetics and in making jellies.

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Other Word Forms

• pectic
  adjective
• pectinaceous
  adjective
• pectinous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pectin

1830–40; < Greek pēkt ( ós ) fixed, congealed ( see pectic) + -in ²

Example Sentences

In 1941, the company purchased distilling facilities in Virginia and Lyons, N.Y., to increase production, then during the war it made pectin, a vital preservative used in military food rations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Cranberries are high in pectin, a soluble starch that forms a gel and is used as a setting agent in making jams and jellies, which is why they thicken readily with minimal cooking.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

Farmhouses across the nation practically required at least one of the long-lived trees because of quinces’ natural pectin, an important gelling ingredient in preserves.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023

In addition, I take glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and pectin to keep my foot and knee pain at bay.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2023

The ocular pectin in their eyes had developed.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• gelatin
• jelly
• marmalade