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

Fructose May Cause Digestive Issues for Some People Because pears contain a naturally higher amount of fructose, they’re considered a high FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) food. —Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 23 Sep. 2025

Tyson Foods and its many brands won't contain high-fructose corn syrup anymore. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025

That includes high-fructose corn syrup, some preservatives and artificial dyes. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025

For example, table sugar is a unit of glucose bonded with a unit of fructose. —Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 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