disaccharide

noun

di·​sac·​cha·​ride (ˌ)dī-ˈsa-kə-ˌrīd 

: any of a class of sugars (such as sucrose) that yields on hydrolysis two monosaccharide molecules

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

One simple way to caramelize table sugar is by heating: this process removes water from the disaccharide sucrose (a substance composed of two simple sugars) and breaks it down into monosaccharides fructose and glucose. —Catherine Hu, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2014

The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide (in the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose). —Science & Food, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2013

The second is disaccharides, which are just two of these single sugar molecules linked together: sucrose, or table sugar (glucose + fructose); lactose, or milk sugar (glucose + galactose); and maltose, or malt sugar (glucose + glucose). —Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 24 June 2019

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. —Don Rauf, chicagotribune.com, 23 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

disaccharide

noun

di·​sac·​cha·​ride (ˈ)dī-ˈsak-ə-ˌrīd 

: any of a class of sugars (as sucrose) that on hydrolysis yields two monosaccharide molecules

called also biose, double sugar