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

In high doses, fructose is converted to fat in your liver, and the buildup of fat is linked to metabolic dysfunctions like hepatic insulin resistance, which drive type 2 diabetes, Della Corte explained. —Brian Mastroianni, Health, 4 July 2025

This is because honey contains mainly fructose, a type of sugar with a lower glycemic index than glucose and the sucrose found in table sugar. —Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 25 June 2025

Monosaccharides: Glucose, galactose, and fructose are monosaccharides. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 3 Apr. 2025

The science has evolved since then, mainly with the realization that mixing different types of carbohydrate (like glucose and fructose) in specific ratios enables higher absorption rates. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 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