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polysaccharide

American  
[pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid] / ˌpɒl iˈsæk əˌraɪd, -rɪd /
Also polysaccharose

noun

Chemistry.

  1. a carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, containing more than three monosaccharide units per molecule, the units being attached to each other in the manner of acetals, and therefore capable of hydrolysis by acids or enzymes to monosaccharides.

polysaccharide British  
/ -ˌrəʊs, -rɪd, ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌrəʊz, ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌraɪd /

noun

  1. any one of a class of carbohydrates whose molecules contain linked monosaccharide units: includes starch, inulin, and cellulose. General formula: (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) n See also oligosaccharide

"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
polysaccharide Scientific  
/ pŏl′ē-săk′ə-rīd′ /

  1. Any of a class of carbohydrates that are made of long chains of simple carbohydrates (called monosaccharides). Starch and cellulose are polysaccharides.

  2. Compare monosaccharide oligosaccharide

Etymology

Origin of polysaccharide

First recorded in 1890–95; poly- + saccharide

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

These peppery greens contain abundant fiber and bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides and antioxidants.

From Science Daily

The researchers also tested a hydrogel adhesive that includes chitosan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, and found that this adhesive also eliminated fibrosis in animal studies.

From Science Daily

Since chitin is a very high molecular weight polysaccharide, traditional processing techniques rely on caustic chemicals to break it down.

From Science Daily

He sometimes recommends polysaccharide extract from turkey tail as a supplement for selected patients.

From National Geographic

Fiber is used as an umbrella term for indigestible plant polysaccharides, so there are many different types with varying fermentability, solubility and viscosity in the gut.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.