a carbohydrate, CHO, not decomposable by hydrolysis; esp., a hexose sugar, CHO, as glucose, fructose, or galactose
Origin:
mono- + saccharide
See monosaccharide in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
Any of several carbohydrates, such as tetroses, pentoses, and hexoses, that cannot be broken down to simpler sugars by hydrolysis. Also called simple sugar.