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cellulose

American  
[sel-yuh-lohs] / ˈsɛl yəˌloʊs /

noun

  1. an inert carbohydrate, (C 6 H 10 O5 ) n, the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants and of wood, cotton, hemp, paper, etc.

cellulose British  
/ -ˌləʊs, ˈsɛljʊˌləʊz /

noun

  1. a polysaccharide consisting of long unbranched chains of linked glucose units: the main constituent of plant cell walls and used in making paper, rayon, and film

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cellulose Scientific  
/ sĕl′yə-lōs′ /

  1. A carbohydrate that is a polymer composed of glucose units and that is the main component of the cell walls of most plants. It is insoluble in water and is used to make paper, cellophane, textiles, explosives, and other products.

  2. See cellulose acetate

cellulose Cultural  

  1. A stringy, fibrous substance that forms the main material in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose is an organic molecule (see also organic molecules), composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Other Word Forms

  • cellulosic adjective
  • cellulosity noun
  • semicellulose noun

Etymology

Origin of cellulose

1745–55; < New Latin cellul ( a ) live cell ( cellular ) + -ose 2

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The capsule itself is made of gelatin coated with cellulose and either molybdenum or tungsten, which prevents any RF signal from being emitted before the pill is swallowed.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026

"The components are designed to break down over days using materials with well-established safety profiles, such as zinc and cellulose, which are already widely used in medicine," Say says.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026

Scientists from Wuhan University have invented a sponge made from squid chitlin and cotton-derived cellulose.

From Salon • Jan. 2, 2025

He then filled in the skeleton’s holes with ethyl cellulose, a tough biodegradable polymer.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 24, 2024

So even if Haupt had money to spend, there was nothing worth buying anyway, unless he wanted to wear clothes made of cellulose "wool."

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.