foods containing sugars or starches, or the nutrient itself, that the body breaks down to get energy
Bread and pasta are high in carbohydrate, which helps runners keep their energy up.
People with diabetes often monitor how much carbohydrate they eat at each meal.
✦ Sense extended from the chemical term to the dietary nutrient in the early 20th century.
an organic compound made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that living things use for energy, such as sugars, starches, and cellulose
Glucose, a simple carbohydrate, fuels many of the body’s basic activities.
The cellulose in plant cell walls is a complex carbohydrate that gives stems their strength.
✦ 19th-century scientific coinage from ‘carbo-’ (carbon) + ‘hydrate’ (compound with water), because the general formula was thought to be Cx(H2O)y.
A harmful condition caused by the excessive loss of water from the body.
The child was taken to hospital suffering from severe dehydration.
Dehydration can make you feel dizzy and confused.
✦ Early 19th century: from de- (expressing removal) + hydrate + -ation.
The action or process of removing water or moisture from something, especially food or chemicals.
Dehydration is a common method to preserve fruits.
The dehydration process turns grapes into raisins.
removes water or moisture from food or other substances, usually to preserve them.
The chef dehydrates fruits and vegetables to make lightweight snacks for hikers.
She dehydrates herbs from her garden to use in winter soups.
✦ Formed in the 19th century from 'de-' (meaning removal) + 'hydrate' (to add water to something).
