Xylose
/ˈzaɪloʊs/noun
A five-carbon sugar found in wood and plant material.
Did you know?Xylose was named from Greek xylon, “wood,” because it was first associated with plant and wood-derived material, and its name preserves that old botanical root.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ξύλον (xylon)
“wood; a piece of wood or timber”
Late 19th Century
German
Xylose
“a sugar identified from wood-derived substances”
Late 19th Century
French/International Scientific
xylose
“a carbohydrate sugar from wood”
Modern English
English
xylose
“a five-carbon sugar occurring in plant fibers and wood”