Meanings
nounexopolysaccharide (plural exopolysaccharides)
plural exopolysaccharides
- A polymer composed of sugar residues, secreted by a microorganism into the surrounding environment.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁eǵʰs
- Proto-Hellenic*eks
- Ancient Greekἐκ (ek)
- Ancient Greekἔξω (éxō)
- Englishexo-
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
- Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
- Englishpoly-
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱorkeh₂
- Proto-Indo-Iranian*ćárkaraH
- Proto-Indo-Aryan*śárkaraH
- Sanskritशर्क॑रा (śárkarā)
- Palisakkharā
- Ancient Greekσάκχαρ (sákkhar)
- Latinsaccharon
- Latinsaccharum
- Englishsaccharo-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Englishsaccharide
- Englishpolysaccharide
- Englishexopolysaccharide
From exo- + polysaccharide.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
exopolysaccharide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exopolysaccharide
MLA
“exopolysaccharide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exopolysaccharide. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exopolysaccharide,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exopolysaccharide.
Source: exopolysaccharide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.