hemicellulose

noun

hemi·​cel·​lu·​lose ˌhe-mi-ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs 

-ˌlōz

: any of various plant polysaccharides less complex than cellulose and easily hydrolyzable to monosaccharides and other products

Examples of hemicellulose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some lignin decomposes at around 900 degrees Celsius (~1,650 Fahrenheit), about 600 degrees higher than cellulose and hemicellulose; other lignin decomposes at temperatures below where cellulose comes apart. —Chris Lee, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2018

But for this project, Hu and his colleagues removed all of the lignin and most of the hemicellulose. —Amina Khan, latimes.com, 10 Mar. 2018

These two chemicals work together to partially remove lignin and hemicellulose, two polymers that make the cell walls of plants rigid. —Marissa Fessenden, Smithsonian, 10 Feb. 2018

The lignin, hemicellulose, and other polymers that give the wood structure break down to produce sweet, vanilla notes. —Wayne Curtis, WIRED, 30 May 2017

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hemicellulose

• methylcellulose
• nitrocellulose
• adios
• adipose
• amylose
• bellicose
• cellulose
• centavos
• comatose
• diagnose
• grandiose
• granulose

Medical Definition

hemicellulose

noun

hemi·​cel·​lu·​lose ˌhem-i-ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs, -ˌlōz 

: any of various plant polysaccharides less complex than cellulose and easily hydrolyzable to simple sugars and other products

hemicellulosic

-ik 

adjective