'glucose-linked' is a compound formed in Modern English from 'glucose' + 'linked'. 'glucose' originates from New Latin/French 'glucose', ultimately from Greek 'glykys' where 'glyk-' meant 'sweet'; 'linked' is the past participle of 'link', from Germanic origins.

'glucose' was coined in the 19th century in chemical nomenclature from Greek 'glykys' (via New Latin/French) to name the specific 'sweet' sugar; 'link' comes from Old Norse 'hlekkur' meaning 'a link or chain', entered Middle English as 'link' and developed the verb sense 'to connect', yielding the past participle 'linked'.

Originally 'glykys' meant 'sweet', but 'glucose' evolved to denote the specific sugar molecule; 'link' originally referred to a physical ring in a chain and evolved to the more general sense 'to connect', so 'linked' now means 'connected to' or 'bound to'.