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Glite Dictionary
polysorbate

polysorbate

1 7.9
A chemical that helps mix ingredients and stops them from separating in food and cosmetics
  • noun
  • /ˌpɒliˈsɔːrbeɪt/
  • Specialized
: polisorbat
  • In many lotions, polysorbate helps to mix oil and water for a smooth texture.
  • polysorbate 80

The junk foods also contain emulsifiers like polysorbate and carrageenan and lecithins that degrade the mucin layer.

Examples

  • That combination led food scientists to find new uses for, among other chemical concoctions, polysorbate 60.

    Blog text (8)

  • Polysorbate 60 also happens to be a Twinkie ingredient.

    Blog text (8)

  • Polysorbate 60 has also been linked to diarrhea, as well as organ toxicity and tumors.

    Blog text (27)

  • The junk foods also contain emulsifiers like polysorbate and carrageenan and lecithins that degrade the mucin layer.

    Rich Roll

  • A severe allergic reaction to yeast, amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, polysorbate 80.

    Blog text (32)

  • The cake contains polysorbate 80 to ensure that the flavors blend well.

  • The pharmaceutical company added polysorbate to the vaccine to enhance its stability.

Surface Forms

polysorbate singular
polysorbates plural

Morphology

polysorbate = sorbate (opaque) = poly + sorbate

Although the word is formally built from poly- plus sorbate, the term is a technical chemical name whose meaning is not directly predictable for an average learner from the parts.

Etymology

Polysorbate comes from poly- meaning 'many' and sorbate, which you can remember like the common word absorb ('to take in'), because polysorbates are made of many parts that help liquids mix. So, polysorbate is used to keep foods, creams, and medicines smooth and stable.