Glu"cose` (?), n. [Gr. &?; sweet. Cf.
Glycerin.]
1. A variety of sugar occurring in nature
very abundantly, as in ripe grapes, and in honey, and produced in
great quantities from starch, etc., by the action of heat and acids.
It is only about half as sweet as cane sugar. Called also
dextrose, grape sugar, diabetic sugar, and
starch sugar. See Dextrose.
2. (Chem.) Any one of a large class of
sugars, isometric with glucose proper, and including levulose,
galactose, etc.
3. The trade name of a sirup, obtained as an
uncrystallizable reside in the manufacture of glucose proper, and
containing, in addition to some dextrose or glucose, also maltose,
dextrin, etc. It is used as a cheap adulterant of sirups, beers,
etc.
