Definition

Noun: - A complex carbohydrate (polysaccharide) found primarily in the seeds, fruits, tubers, roots, and stem pith of plants. It is a white, tasteless, and odorless substance that serves as the primary form of energy storage in plants and is a major component of the human diet. It is also used industrially.

Usage and Examples

• As a dietary component:
  • Potatoes and rice are rich sources of amylum.
  • The body breaks down amylum into sugars for energy.
• In an industrial or scientific context:
  • This adhesive is formulated with amylum derived from corn.
  • The paper has been treated with amylum to increase its stiffness.

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Chemical Context: In chemistry and biology, "amylum" is synonymous with the more common term starch. "Amylum" is often used in technical, formal, or historical writing.
  • The experiment aimed to isolate pure amylum from the tuber samples.
• Property Description: It is often described by its properties (insoluble in cold water, forming a paste in hot water) or its chemical structure (composed of glucose units).
  • The characteristic blue-black color is a test for the presence of amylum.

Variants and Related Words

• Starch (n): The far more common synonym for "amylum" in everyday and scientific English.
  • She added starch to the laundry to stiffen the collars.
• Amylaceous (adj): Having the nature of or resembling starch; starchy.
  • The amylaceous content of the flour was very high.
• Amyloid (adj/n): Resembling starch; or a specific protein complex (in medical pathology).
  • (Historical use) The substance had an amyloid reaction.

Synonyms

• Starch: The direct and most frequent synonym.
• Complex carbohydrate: A broader category to which it belongs.
• Polysaccharide: The scientific classification for molecules like amylum.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Amylum grain (n): A microscopic granule of starch within a plant cell.
  • Observing the amylum grains under the microscope helps identify the plant source.
• Amylum iodide: A chemical compound used as a test for oxidizing agents.
  • The solution turned blue upon the addition of amylum iodide, indicating the presence of the oxidant.

Noun

1. a complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles