Sucrose

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sucrose \Su"crose`\, n. [F. sucre sugar. See {Sugar}.] (Chem.)
     A common variety of sugar found in the juices of many plants,
     as the sugar cane, sorghum, sugar maple, beet root, etc. It
     is extracted as a sweet, white crystalline substance which is
     valuable as a food product, and, being antiputrescent, is
     largely used in the preservation of fruit. Called also


     {saccharose}, {cane sugar}, etc. At one time the term was
     used by extension, for any one of the class of isomeric
     substances (as lactose, maltose, etc.) of which sucrose
     proper is the type; however this usage is now archaic.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Note: Sucrose proper is a dextrorotatory carbohydrate,
           {C12H22O11}. It does not reduce Fehling's solution, and
           though not directly fermentable, yet on standing with
           yeast it is changed by the diastase present to invert
           sugar (dextrose and levulose), which then breaks down
           to alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is also decomposed to
           invert sugar by heating with acids, whence it is also
           called a {disaccharate}. Sucrose possesses at once the
           properties of an alcohol and a ketone, and also forms
           compounds (called sucrates) analogous to salts. Cf.
           {Sugar}.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sucrose
       n : a complex carbohydrate found in many plants and used as a
           sweetening agent [syn: {saccharose}]