carbohydrate

noun car·bo·hy·drate \ -ˌdrāt , -drət \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

Examples: carbohydrate in a Sentence

: any of various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (such as sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute a major class of animal foods

See carbohydrate defined for English-language learners

See carbohydrate defined for kids

Examples of carbohydrate in a Sentence

a food that is low in protein but high in carbohydrate

Recent Examples of carbohydrate from the Web

Get our daily newsletter Dr Wang knew from the botanical literature that most plants secrete from their roots a mixture of carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids that are food for microbes.

— The Economist, "A cheap way to save rice plants from the effects of acid rain," 12 July 2018
Nutrition | Per serving: 283 calories (13 percent from fat), 4.2 g fat (0.5 g saturated, 0.7 g monounsaturated), 2 mg cholesterol, 16.8 g protein, 47.0 g carbohydrates, 12.1 g fiber, 81 mg sodium.

— linda gassenheimer, sacbee, "Making a chicken mango salad? Soon you will get the tang of it," 10 July 2018
Your body breaks it down into its simplest forms of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

— Good Housekeeping, "Your Metabolism, Explained: How to Boost Your Body's Fat-Burning System and Lose Weight," 24 Apr. 2018
Makes 4 servings Nutrition information per serving: 615 calories, 55% calories from fat, 41g fat, 11g saturated fat, 327mg cholesterol, 8g carbohydrates, 3g total sugar,0g added sugar, 59g protein, 520mg sodium, 2g fiber Get recipes in your inbox.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Moroccan chicken tagine a flavorful and aromatic stew," 29 June 2018
Wasps drawn to artificial sweeteners, such as those found in sodas, might be interested in the carbohydrates and amino acids in those substances.

— anna diamond, Smithsonian, "Do Marine Mammals Yawn and More Questions From Our Readers," 28 June 2018
The Lone Star tick is thought to transmit a red-meat allergy through a Marvel heroine-sounding carbohydrate called alpha-gal, and can be diagnosed via blood test.

— katie heaney, The Cut, "Apparently Tick Bites Can Make You Allergic to Red Meat," 25 June 2018
After the carbohydrate-rich piña is cut from its stalk, its long, spiky leaves are cut away from the heart.

— mark seal, WSJ, "The Tequila Gold Rush," 19 June 2018
On that note, carbohydrates may help us sleep better.

— lauren levinson, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Stopped Eating Carbs After 2:30 p.m. and It Changed My Body," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carbohydrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of carbohydrate

1851

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

CARBOHYDRATE Defined for English Language Learners

carbohydrate

noun

: any one of various substances found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes) that provide your body with heat and energy and are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

CARBOHYDRATE Defined for Kids

carbohydrate

noun car·bo·hy·drate \ ˌkär-bō-ˈhī-ˌdrāt \

: a substance (as a starch or sugar) that is rich in energy and is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

Medical Dictionary

carbohydrate

noun car·bo·hy·drate \ -ˌdrāt, -drət \

: any of various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute a major class of animal foods