disaccharide

[ dahy-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. any of a group of carbohydrates, as sucrose or lactose, that yield monosaccharides on hydrolysis.

disaccharide

/ daɪˈsækəˌraɪd; -rɪd /

noun

1. any of a class of sugars, such as maltose, lactose, and sucrose, having two linked monosaccharide units per molecule

disaccharide

/ dī-săk′ə-rīd′ /

1. Any of a class of sugars, including lactose and sucrose, that are composed of two monosaccharides.

Word History and Origins

Origin of disaccharide¹

First recorded in 1890–95; di- ¹ + saccharide

Example Sentences

Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide made of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose – in a 1:1 ratio.

From Salon

For example, table sugar, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar and molasses contain easily digested disaccharides and no fiber, so they are fast carbs.

From Seattle Times

Sugar is a disaccharide that ends up being two different monosaccharides in your gut.

From New York Times

First off, lactose is a disaccharide, meaning it's a sugar made of two simple sugar molecules – glucose and galactose.

From US News

The most abundant component in dried samples of breast milk is lactose, which provides nutrition for the infant, although many bacterial taxa can also digest this disaccharide.

From Nature

Related Words

• cellulose
• glucose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar