sugar-beet
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of beet: "sugar-beet" refers to a variety of beet (Beta vulgaris) cultivated for its high sugar content, specifically for the commercial production of sugar.
- The root of this plant: In agricultural and industrial contexts, "sugar-beet" can also denote the root itself, which is processed to extract sucrose.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Farmers grow sugar-beet in temperate regions for sugar extraction. (The plant is cultivated for its sugar-rich root.)
- The sugar-beet is harvested in autumn and transported to refineries. (The root crop is collected for processing.)
Advanced Usage
"sugar-beet pulp": the fibrous residue left after sugar extraction from the root, often used as animal feed.
- The pulp from sugar-beet is a nutritious supplement for livestock. (The leftover material serves as feed.)
"sugar-beet molasses": a byproduct of sugar production from sugar-beet, used in fermentation and as a sweetener.
- Distillers use sugar-beet molasses to produce ethanol. (The thick syrup is a raw material for alcohol.)
Variants and Related Words
Sugar beet (n): an alternative spelling without the hyphen, equally common.
- The sugar beet industry is vital to many European economies. (The crop is economically important.)
Beet sugar (n): sugar derived specifically from sugar-beet, as opposed to cane sugar.
- Beet sugar is chemically identical to cane sugar but has a different production process. (The refined product from the root.)
Synonyms
- Root crop: a plant grown for its edible underground part.
- Sugar root: an informal term sometimes used for sugar-beet.
Phrasal Verbs
- None directly associated with "sugar-beet".
Related Idioms
- None directly associated with "sugar-beet".