glucose

/ˈglukoʊs/

/ˈglukəʊs/

Other forms: glucoses

Glucose is simple sugar. It's all kinds of sugar, and it's in your blood, and your body needs it for energy. Most Americans sadly consume far more glucose than necessary, and have enlarged gluteus maximus muscles to show for it.

The word glucose is based on an ancient Greek word gleukos which meant "sweet delightful wine." When you're popping one glucose-laden Girl Scout Cookie after another into your mouth, you certainly do feel that delight. You'll probably see the word glucose plenty in biochemistry textbooks. Glucose needs to be in your blood, and a healthy balance of it in your body is indeed as delightful as wine to those ancient Greeks.

Definitions of glucose

1. noun

   a monosaccharide sugar that has several forms; an important source of physiological energy
   types:

   glucosamine

   an amino derivative of glucose that is a component of many polysaccharides

   corn sugar

   dextrose made by hydrolysis of cornstarch

   dextroglucose, dextrose, grape sugar

   an isomer of glucose that is found in honey and sweet fruits

   blood glucose, blood sugar

   glucose in the bloodstream

   type of:

   aldohexose

   a monosaccharide sugar having six carbon atoms and an aldehyde group