gly·co·side / ˈglīkəˌsīd/ • n. Biochem. a compound formed from a simple sugar and another compound by replacement of a hydroxyl group in the sugar molecule. Many drugs and poisons derived from plants are glycosides.DERIVATIVES: gly·co·sid·ic / ˌglīkəˈsidik/ adj.

glycoside Any one of a group of compounds consisting of a pyranose sugar residue, such as glucose, linked to a noncarbohydrate residue (R) by a glycosidic bond: the hydroxyl group (–OH) on carbon-1 of the sugar is replaced by –OR. Glycosides are widely distributed in plants; examples are the anthocyanin pigments and the cardiac glycosides, such as digoxin (see digitalis) and ouabain, which are used medicinally for their stimulant effects on the heart.

glycoside (gly-koh-syd) n. a compound formed by replacing the hydroxyl group (–OH) of a sugar by another group. (If the sugar is glucose the compound is known as a glucoside.) Glycosides derived from plants include some pharmacologically important products. cardiac g. a drug, such as digoxin (derived from digitalis), that increases the force of heart muscle contraction.

glycoside The product that is obtained when a sugar reacts with an alcohol or phenol.

glycoside The product obtained when a sugar reacts with an alcohol or phenol.