Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A white, sweetish, crystalline alcohol, C6H8(OH)6, found in various berries and fruits or prepared synthetically and used as a flavoring agent, a sugar substitute for people with diabetes, and a moisturizer in cosmetics and other products.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as sorbite, 1, which term it has now superseded.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun organic chemistry A sugar alcohol (2R,3S,4S,5S)-hexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol used as an artificial sweetener

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[sorb (since it was first isolated from the berries of the rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia)) + –it(e) + –ol.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sorbus ("service tree") + -itol ("polyhydric alcohols")

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Examples

  • Some sugars are even harder to find and go by the name sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and malitol.

    Article Source Victoria Jamison 2009

  • Do be ware that sometimes, for instance, diabetic or sugar-free products contain something called sorbitol, which again, is a sugar alcohol level, but contained, excuse me, ingested in high amounts may affect your gastrointestinal tract and cause some discomfort.

    eHow - Health How To's 2010

  • Ion exchange resins, mixed with a cathartic called sorbitol, have long been used to treat hyperkalemia.

    Newswise: Latest News 2010

  • Ion exchange resins, mixed with a cathartic called sorbitol, have long been used to treat hyperkalemia.

    Newswise: Latest News 2010

  • If there is an excess of glucose in the body from high carbohydrates and it’s converted into an excess of sorbitol, which is then stored in the eye, cataracts are the result.

    Human Eye: Part 3 2008

  • Check the other foods you eat, too: Some people develop gas because they lack the enzyme to digest dairy products; others have a tough time with sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and maltitol; and starches (except for rice) can make you as gassy as an OPEC nation.

    Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local 2010

  • In addition, artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol that is found in some gums can give you gas.

    Livescience.com 2010

  • Glycerin also competes on a cost basis in most markets with some other chemicals, such as sorbitol, propylene glycol and pentaerythritol, so demand and pricing swings are usually minimal.

    Purchasing - Top Stories 2009

  • Likewise, products that contain sugar alcohols - such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol - aren't necessarily low in carbohydrates or calories.

    All MayoClinic.com Topics 2008

  • Ajisen said that since January of last year, Chinese authorities have allowed the use of sorbitol in noodles.

    Noodle Affair Simmers Isabella Steger 2011

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