lactose

/ˈlæk.təʊs/

LÆK · təʊs (2 syllables)

English Noun Top 27,719

Definition

The disaccharide sugar of milk and dairy products, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁, a product of glucose and galactose used as a food and in medicinal compounds.

Etymology

Borrowed from French lactose, from Latin lac (“milk”) + -ose (derivation of glucose). Coined by French chemist Marcelin Berthelot.