Dictionary

hemicellulose en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sēmi Proto-Hellenic [Term?] Ancient Greek ἡμῐ- (hēmĭ-)lbor. English hemi- Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-der. Latin cella Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ula Latin cellulabor. French cellule Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsuslbor. French -ose French cellulosebor. English cellulose English hemicellulose From hemi- (“half”) + cellulose.

Meanings

1. A mixture of several plant polysaccharides, of smaller molecular weight than cellulose, that are soluble in dilute alkali; they are involved in the manufacture of paper, and are used in the production of furfural and ethanol.
   • The changes in texture that occur during ripening and cooking result from changes in the cell-wall materials, in particular the cement carbohydrates. One group is the hemicelluloses, which form strengthening cross-links between celluloses. They are built up from glucose and xylose sugars, and can be partly dissolved and removed from cell walls during cooking. 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 5, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:

Forms

Deriveds

hemicellulosic · hemicellulase

Translations (7)

de Hemicellulose (mixture of polysaccharides) · fr hémicellulose (mixture of polysaccharides) · hu hemicellulóz (mixture of polysaccharides) · pl hemiceluloza (mixture of polysaccharides) · et hemitselluloos (mixture of polysaccharides) · es hemicelulosa (mixture of polysaccharides) · it emicellulosa (mixture of polysaccharides)