fructose

noun

fruc·​tose ˈfrək-ˌtōs  ˈfrük-  ˈfru̇k- 

-ˌtōz

1

: a crystalline sugar C₆H₁₂O₆ sweeter and more soluble than glucose

2

: the very sweet levorotatory d-form of fructose that occurs especially in fruit juices and honey

called also fruit sugar, levulose

Examples of fructose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tagatose is a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, just like fructose and glucose. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025

As my colleague Yasmin Tayag has written, corporations have been MAHA-washing their products to highlight those free of artificial dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, and seed oils. —Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2025

According to Ferriss, natural sugars in fruit (fructose) can increase body fat and slow weight loss. —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 1 Sep. 2025

Avoiding foods that contain fructose, such as watermelon, is used to manage fructose malabsorption. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin frūctus fruit entry 1 + -ose entry 2

Note: The term was apparently introduced by the British chemist William Allen Miller (1817-70) in Elements of Chemistry: Theoretical and Practical, Part III, Organic Chemistry (London, 1857), p. 57.

First Known Use

circa 1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fructose

• arkose
• engross
• faroese
• fucose
• gatos
• glucose
• jocose
• morose
• vadose
• adios
• adipose
• amylose

Kids Definition

fructose

noun

fruc·​tose ˈfrək-ˌtōs  ˈfru̇k- 

: a very sweet sugar that dissolves easily and occurs especially in fruit juices and honey

Medical Definition

fructose

noun

fruc·​tose ˈfrək-ˌtōs  ˈfrük-  ˈfru̇k- 

-ˌtōz

1

: an optically active sugar C₆H₁₂O₆ that differs from glucose in having a ketonic rather than an aldehydic carbonyl group

2

: the very sweet soluble levorotatory D-form of fructose that occurs especially in fruit juices and honey

called also levulose