saccharide
|sac-cha-ride|
/ˈsækəˌraɪd/
sugar unit / sugar compound
Etymology
'saccharide' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'saccharidum', where Greek 'sakkharon' meant 'sugar'.
'saccharide' changed from Greek 'sakkharon' to Late Latin 'saccharum', then to New Latin 'saccharidum', and was adopted into English as 'saccharide' in the 19th century.
Initially, it meant 'sugar' or 'a sugar-like substance', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a class of carbohydrates (sugars and their derivatives)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any of a class of organic compounds commonly called sugars, with the general formula (CH2O)n; includes monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Glucose is a common saccharide used by cells for energy.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in some contexts, used specifically to refer to a single sugar molecule (a monosaccharide), the simplest unit of carbohydrates.
A monosaccharide is the simplest type of saccharide.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/13 14:19