A compound containing a sugar group bonded to a non-sugar molecule, commonly found in plants and used by cells for energy and signaling.
From Greek 'glykys' (sweet) + '-ose' (sugar suffix) + '-ine' (chemical compound). The term evolved in 19th-century chemistry to describe molecules with sweet characteristics that contain sugar units.
Glycosides are why plants taste sweet and why your body can recognize and process medications—many drugs are designed as glycosides because cells have special transport systems specifically for moving sugar-based molecules across membranes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.