hemicellulose: Meaning and Definition of

hem•i•cel•lu•lose

Pronunciation: (hem"i-sel'yu-lōs"), [key]
— n.
  1. any of a group of gummy polysaccharides, intermediate in complexity between sugar and cellulose, that hydrolyze to monosaccharides more readily than cellulose.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.