pectin

noun

pec·​tin ˈpek-tən 

: any of various water-soluble substances that bind adjacent cell walls in plant tissues and yield a gel which is the basis of fruit jellies

also : a commercial product rich in pectins

Examples of pectin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of these genes code for enzymes that help to break down plant cell walls, allowing access to sugars stored in hard-to-digest compounds like cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. —Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024

Ingredients: 3 cups petal infusion, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 box powdered pectin, 4 1/2 cups sugar Instructions Boil jars 15 minutes. —Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 3 Apr. 2024

Lemon juice and sugar as a thickener can be used with or without pectin as lemon is naturally high in pectin. —Rishon Hanners, Southern Living, 30 June 2023

Most pectins are soluble, but some are insoluble.11 Pectin may help increase stool frequency and decrease time spent on the toilet. —Julia Ries, Health, 14 Jan. 2024

Each scoop of Amazing Grass Greens Blend has 30 calories, a green food blend, an antioxidant blend, three grams of fiber from flax seed and apple pectin, and a blend of digestive enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics. —Kelsey Kunik, Rd, Health, 29 Dec. 2023

If foods don't have enough pectin to jell on their own, pectin can be added. —Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2023

Natural ingredients include orange blossom, rose and sage waters, and apple pectin to make skin more supple. —Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2023

Ingredients 3 to 4 quarts fresh blackberries, stems and caps removed 7 1/2 cups sugar 2 (3-oz.) packages liquid pectin 8 pint jars Directions Prepare blackberries: Sort and rinse blackberries. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 1 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

French pectine, from pectique

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pectin

noun

pec·​tin ˈpek-tən 

: any of various substances in plant tissues that dissolve in water and produce a gel which is the basis of fruit jellies

also : a commercial product rich in pectins

Medical Definition

pectin

noun

pec·​tin ˈpek-tən 

1

: any of various water-soluble substances that bind adjacent cell walls in plant tissues and yield a gel which is the basis of fruit jellies

2

: a commercial product rich in pectins and used chiefly in making jelly and other foods, in pharmaceutical products especially for the control of diarrhea, and in cosmetics