Polysaccharide
/ˌpɒl.iˈsæk.ə.raɪd/noun
A carbohydrate whose molecules consist of long chains of linked sugar units.
Did you know?The sugar root traces back to Sanskrit śarkarā, meaning “grit” or “gravel,” likely inspired by the grainy crystals of raw sugar.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*polh₁u-
“Much or many; the ancient root behind Greek polús.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śarkarā
“Pebble, grit, or gravel; later a word for crystalline sugar.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
polýs sakkharon
“Many sugars; a descriptive combination of polýs, “many,” and sákkharon, “sugar.””
19th Century
German
Polysaccharid
“A chemical term for a carbohydrate formed from many sugar units.”
19th Century
English
polysaccharide
“A carbohydrate composed of numerous linked monosaccharide units.”