definitions

polysaccharide

[ pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid ]
/ ˌpɒl iˈsæk əˌraɪd, -rɪd /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR polysaccharide ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Chemistry.

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.

RELATED WORDS

carbohydrate, sugar, starch, lactose, glucose, cellulose, glycogen, galactose, monosaccharide, disaccharide, sucrose, maltose, fructose, dextrose, dextrin

Nearby words

polyradiculitis, polyradiculoneuropathy, polyrhythm, polyrhythmic, polyribosome, polysaccharide, polysemy, polysepalous, polyserositis, polysinusitis, polysome
Also pol·y·sac·cha·rose [pol-ee-sak-uh-rohs] /ˌpɒl iˈsæk əˌroʊs/.

Origin of polysaccharide

First recorded in 1890–95; poly- + saccharide
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for polysaccharide

  • It is a constituent of sucrose, of raffinose, and of the polysaccharide inulin, from which it may be obtained by hydrolysis.

    The Chemistry of Plant Life|Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

British Dictionary definitions for polysaccharide

polysaccharide

polysaccharose (ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌrəʊz, -ˌrəʊs)

/ (ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌraɪd, -rɪd) /

noun

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) nSee 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

Medicine definitions for polysaccharide

polysaccharide

[ pŏl′ē-săk′ə-rīd′ ]

n.

Any of a class of carbohydrates, such as starch and cellulose, consisting of a number of monosaccharides joined by glycosidic bonds.glycan
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for polysaccharide

polysaccharide

[ pŏl′ē-săk′ə-rīd′ ]

Any of a class of carbohydrates that are made of long chains of simple carbohydrates (called monosaccharides). Starch and cellulose are polysaccharides. Compare monosaccharide oligosaccharide.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.