cellulose

[ sel-yuh-lohs ]
See synonyms for cellulose on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an inert carbohydrate, (C6H10O5)n, the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants and of wood, cotton, hemp, paper, etc.

Origin of cellulose

1
1745–55; <New Latin cellul(a) live cell (see cellular) + -ose2

Other words from cellulose

  • cel·lu·los·i·ty [sel-yuh-los-i-tee], /ˌsɛl yəˈlɒs ɪ ti/, noun
  • sem·i·cel·lu·lose, noun

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How to use cellulose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cellulose

cellulose

/ (ˈsɛljʊˌləʊz, -ˌləʊs) /


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

Origin of cellulose

1
C18: from French cellule cell (see cellule) + -ose ²

Derived forms of cellulose

  • cellulosic, adjective, noun

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

Scientific definitions for cellulose

cellulose

[ sĕlyə-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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for cellulose

cellulose

[ (sel-yuh-lohs) ]


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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.