Saccharide
/ˈsæk.ə.raɪd/noun
A carbohydrate, especially a simple sugar or a molecule composed of sugar units.
Did you know?The Greek word sakkharon, ancestor of saccharide, was probably borrowed from Sanskrit śarkarā, meaning “gravel” or “grit,” because raw sugar resembled tiny stones.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
śarkarā
“Gravel, grit, or crystallized sugar”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sákkharon
“Sugar; a borrowing ultimately connected with Sanskrit śarkarā”
Late Antiquity
Latin
saccharum
“Sugar”
Medieval Period
Arabic
sukkar
“Sugar, borrowed through the wider trade routes of the Near East”
13th–14th Century
Old French
sucre
“Sugar”
19th Century
Scientific English
saccharide
“A sugar or carbohydrate compound, formed from sacchar- “sugar” with the chemical suffix -ide”