polyunsaturated

[ pol-ee-uhn-sach-uh-rey-tid ]

/ ˌpɒl i ʌnˈsætʃ əˌreɪ tɪd /

adjective Nutrition.

of or noting a class of animal or vegetable fats, especially plant oils, whose molecules consist of carbon chains with many double bonds unsaturated by hydrogen atoms and that are associated with a low cholesterol content of the blood.

Nearby words

polytriglyph, polytrophic, polytunnel, polytypic, polyunsaturate, polyunsaturated, polyurethane, polyurethanes, polyuria, polyvalent, polyvalent allergy

Origin of polyunsaturated

First recorded in 1930–35; poly- + unsaturated

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for polyunsaturated

In fact, the correction of the Cambridge study had to do with polyunsaturated fats—not saturated fats.
The AHA’s Absurd Saturated Fat Obsession|Dr. Barbara H. Roberts|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The recording was sprinkled with repeated instances of unusual key words, such as “polyunsaturated” and “knuckleduster.”
Will Work for 25 Cents an Hour!|Thomas E. Weber|June 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for polyunsaturated

polyunsaturated

/ (ˌpɒlɪʌnˈsætʃəˌreɪtɪd) /

adjective

of or relating to a class of animal and vegetable fats, the molecules of which consist of long carbon chains with many double bonds. Polyunsaturated compounds are less likely to be converted into cholesterol in the body. They are widely used in margarines and in the manufacture of paints and varnishesSee also monounsaturated

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

Word Origin and History for polyunsaturated

polyunsaturated

adj.

1921, from poly- + unsaturated.

Medicine definitions for polyunsaturated

polyunsaturated

[ pŏl′ē-ŭn-săch′ə-rā′tĭd ]

adj.

Of or relating to long-chain carbon compounds, especially fatty acids, having two or more double bonds per molecule. Foods containing polyunsaturated fatty acids help reduce the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Science definitions for polyunsaturated

polyunsaturated

[ pŏl′ē-ŭn-săch′ə-rā′tĭd ]

Relating to an organic compound, especially a fat, in which more than one pair of carbon atoms are joined by double or triple bonds. See more at unsaturated.