polysaccharide
noun
poly·sac·cha·ride
| \ ˌpä-lē-ˈsa-kə-ˌrīd
\
\
Definition of polysaccharide
: a carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more molecules of monosaccharides
especially
: one (such as cellulose, starch, or glycogen) containing many monosaccharide units and marked by complexity
Examples of polysaccharide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), which protects against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria, and pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23), which protects against 23 types, the CDC says. — Patia Braithwaite, SELF, "Here Are All the Vaccines You Actually Need as an Adult," 26 Aug. 2019 The scales of chitin (a polysaccharide common to insects) are arranged like roof tiles. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "“Rainbow” weevil could hold the secret to generating nature’s colors in the lab," 23 Sep. 2018 Based on my love of green juices, the serum contains chlorophyll and galactoarabinan, which are plant polysaccharides, and oat-grass juice. — Tanisha Pina, Allure, "Dermstore’s Massive Labor Day Beauty Sale Has Already Started — Here’s What to Shop," 28 Aug. 2018 Elliott says, detailing ingredients like a sugarcane derivative that acts as a humectant, and fermented polysaccharides that pack in the water. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, "The One Facial You Need Just Landed in New York City—By Way of Japan," 23 Apr. 2018 This comes from the mung beans, which are full of polysaccharides—a complex carbohydrate that reads sweet on our tongues. — Alison Roman, WSJ, "Plant-Based ‘Meat’ and ‘Fish’ May Be the Future. But How Do They Taste?," 12 Apr. 2018 These contain large sugar chains (polysaccharides) that attract many times their weight in water. — Tanisha Pina, Allure, "Beloved K-Beauty Brand The Face Shop Is Now Sold on Jet.com," 20 Mar. 2018 Inside the mucilage are carbohydrates and some 60 polysaccharides, or sugars, that have specific effects on different contaminants. — Christina Procopiou, Newsweek, "Cactus Guts Could Rid Water of Toxins," 13 Mar. 2016 Some experts recommend adding vinegar to the oil to slow the breakdown of pectin (the polysaccharide that helps a potato keep its structure intact). — Tarah Knaresboro, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make French Fries Perfectly," 2 Feb. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polysaccharide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for polysaccharide
polysaccharide
noun
poly·sac·cha·ride
| \ -ˈsak-ə-ˌrīd
\
\
Medical Definition of polysaccharide
: a carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more molecules of monosaccharides
especially
: one (as cellulose, starch, or glycogen) containing many monosaccharide units and marked by complexity
— called also glycan