fructose

noun

fruc·​tose ˈfrək-ˌtōs How to pronounce fructose (audio) ˈfrük- How to pronounce fructose (audio) ˈfru̇k- How to pronounce fructose (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By feeding gut bacteria with inulin, researchers found that the microbes essentially burn through fructose early, preventing that cascade of damage. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025 Balbach plans to continue exploring how sperm use different fuels like glucose and fructose to meet energy demands. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 Pears are naturally high in fructose and sorbitol (a sugar alcohol). Daryl Austin, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025 The combination of the two drugs was found to reverse the fat accumulation in the liver induced by a diet high in fat and fructose. Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fructose

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fructose was circa 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Fructose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fructose. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

fructose

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

Medical Definition

fructose

noun
fruc·​tose ˈfrək-ˌtōs How to pronounce fructose (audio) ˈfrük- How to pronounce fructose (audio) ˈfru̇k- How to pronounce fructose (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on fructose

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