A type of carbohydrate produced by breaking down starch, used as a thickener in foods and in adhesives like glue on envelopes.
From 'dextro-' (turning right, referring to its optical properties) plus '-in' (chemical suffix). Discovered in the 1800s when scientists heated starch and found it changed properties.
The stickiness that activates when you lick an envelope is dextrin—it's a simple carbohydrate that becomes gluey when wet, and it's also used to thicken sauces, making it one of chemistry's most mundane-yet-everywhere molecules.
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