oligosaccharide

noun

ol·​i·​go·​sac·​cha·​ride ˈä-li-gō-ˈsa-kə-ˌrīd 

ˈō-;

ə-ˈli-gə-

: a saccharide that contains usually three to ten monosaccharide units

Examples of oligosaccharide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

High-fiber foods that are low-FODMAP—low on fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, all of which are carbs that are absorbed poorly by the gut and can trigger distress as a result—could come to the rescue. —Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026

This is due to oligosaccharides, a sugar in fiber that the body doesn't digest. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2026

Beans contain oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate chain made up of simple sugars that our bodies have trouble digesting. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025

The dietary approach is known as low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, or the Low-FODMAP Diet for short. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oligosaccharide

• aminoglycoside
• chlordiazepoxide
• dimethylformamide
• paraformaldehyde
• polynucleotide
• ribonucleotide
• abide
• allied
• applied
• aside
• astride
• azide

Medical Definition

oligosaccharide

noun

oli·​go·​sac·​cha·​ride ˌäl-i-gō-ˈsak-ə-ˌrīd, ˌō-li- 

: a saccharide that contains usually three to ten monosaccharide units