Xylitol

//ˈzaɪlɪtɑl// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A pentahydric alcohol, C₅H₁₂O₅, penta-hydroxy pentane; derived from xylose; used as a sweetener. countable, uncountable

    "A note of caution to readers with pets: Xylitol is toxic to dogs and can have potentially life-threatening effects. As owners of two doggos ourselves, we encourage anyone with a dog to use extreme caution when bringing xylitol into your home."

Example

More examples

"A note of caution to readers with pets: Xylitol is toxic to dogs and can have potentially life-threatening effects. As owners of two doggos ourselves, we encourage anyone with a dog to use extreme caution when bringing xylitol into your home."

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξύλον (xúlon, “wood”) + -itol (“anhydric alcohol”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.