raffinose

noun

raf·​fi·​nose ˈra-fə-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz

: a crystalline slightly sweet sugar C₁₈H₃₂O₁₆ obtained commercially from cottonseed meal and present in many plant products

Examples of raffinose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Passing gas can be a side effect of eating beans, thanks to the complex sugar raffinose, which is plentiful in the legumes. —Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 May 2026

Cabbage Raw cabbage contains the complex sugar raffinose and sulfur-containing compounds that can increase gas during digestion. —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 6 Jan. 2026

These cruciferous veggies are high in a sugar called raffinose, says Dr. Bechtold, which doesn’t break down easily in your GI tract. —Sarah Bradley, Women's Health, 20 Mar. 2023

Most legumes — including lentils, nuts, and peas — are high in fiber, along with sugars your body can’t digest properly, like raffinose and stachyose, according to a study published in the Nutritional Journal. —Men's Health, 1 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

French, from raffiner to refine, from re- + affiner to make fine, from a- ad- (from Latin ad-) + fin fine

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for raffinose

• agarose
• aliquots
• amigos
• anthracnose
• bottlenose
• buffaloes
• bungalows
• calicoes
• cameos
• commandos
• conversos
• decompose

Medical Definition

raffinose

noun

raf·​fi·​nose ˈraf-ə-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz 

: a crystalline sugar C₁₈H₃₂O₁₆ obtained commercially from cottonseed meal and present in sugar beets and many plant products

called also melitose