carbohydrate
UK /kɑːbəʊˈhaɪdɹeɪt/ · US /kɑɹboʊˈhaɪdɹeɪt/ noun
Forms carbohydrates
- noun (organic chemistry, nutrition) A sugar, starch, or cellulose that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant. “These microbes are primarily responsible for breaking down cellulose and other carbohydrates into volatile fatty acids (VFAs).”
- noun (colloquial, by extension, metonymic) Any food rich in starch or other carbohydrates. “I'm cutting down on carbohydrates like bread and pasta.”
Synonyms
carb saccharide sugar
Etymology
From their general formula Cₙ(H₂O)ₙ; they were once thought to be hydrates of carbon.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of a group of compounds including the sugars, starches, and gums, which contain six (or some multiple of six) carbon atoms, united with a variable number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but with the two latter always in proportion as to form water; as dextrose, C6H12O6.
Etymology [Carbon + hydrate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “carbohydrate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details