Hexose
/ˈhɛk.soʊz/noun
A six-carbon sugar, especially one such as glucose or fructose.
Did you know?Hexose was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek hex- “six,” and the name is a reminder that chemistry often borrows the same ancient number-words that later fed magical-sounding terms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἕξ (héx)
“six”
Late 19th Century
Scientific Latin
hexose
“a sugar containing six carbon atoms”
Modern English
English
hexose
“a six-carbon sugar”
Modern English
English
hexose
“a six-carbon sugar”