From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sucrose \Su"crose`\, n. [F. sucre sugar. See {Sugar}.] (Chem.)
A common variety of sugar found in the juices of many plants,
as the sugar cane, sorghum, sugar maple, beet root, etc. It
is extracted as a sweet, white crystalline substance which is
valuable as a food product, and, being antiputrescent, is
largely used in the preservation of fruit. Called also
{saccharose}, {cane sugar}, etc. At one time the term was
used by extension, for any one of the class of isomeric
substances (as lactose, maltose, etc.) of which sucrose
proper is the type; however this usage is now archaic.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Note: Sucrose proper is a dextrorotatory carbohydrate,
{C12H22O11}. It does not reduce Fehling's solution, and
though not directly fermentable, yet on standing with
yeast it is changed by the diastase present to invert
sugar (dextrose and levulose), which then breaks down
to alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is also decomposed to
invert sugar by heating with acids, whence it is also
called a {disaccharate}. Sucrose possesses at once the
properties of an alcohol and a ketone, and also forms
compounds (called sucrates) analogous to salts. Cf.
{Sugar}.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
sucrose
n 1: a complex carbohydrate found in many plants and used as a
sweetening agent [syn: {sucrose}, {saccharose}]
|
