pectin

[pek-tin] /ˈpɛk tɪn/
noun, Biochemistry
1.
a white, amorphous, colloidal carbohydrate of high molecular weight occurring in ripe fruits, especially in apples, currants, etc., and used in fruit jellies, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics for its thickening and emulsifying properties and its ability to solidify to a gel.
Origin
1830-40; < Greek pēkt(ós) fixed, congealed (see pectic) + -in2
Related forms
pectinaceous
[pek-tuh-ney-shuh s] /ˌpɛk təˈneɪ ʃəs/ (Show IPA), pectinous, adjective
Examples from the web for pectin
  • They won't be quite as thick as jams made with added pectin, but they will have a lovely silken texture.
  • Visitors can also sample the winery's wine jelly that includes only wine, sugar and pectin as ingredients.
  • The chemical helps break apart the pectin in the fries, yielding a smoother mouthfeel.
  • Once all the cranberries have warmed through, sprinkle the sugar, salt and pectin mix into the cranberries.
  • Natural pectin in the tomatoes gives the sauce its jammy consistency.
British Dictionary definitions for pectin

pectin

/ˈpɛktɪn/
noun
1.
(biochem) any of the acidic hemicelluloses that occur in ripe fruit and vegetables: used in the manufacture of jams because of their ability to solidify to a gel when heated in a sugar solution (may be referred to on food labels as E440(a))
Derived Forms
pectic, pectinous, adjective
Word Origin
C19: from Greek pēktos congealed, from pegnuein to set
Word Origin and History for pectin
n.

polysaccharide found in fruit and vegetables, crucial in forming jellies and jams, 1838, from French pectine, coined early 1830s by French chemist Henri Braconnot (1781-1855) from acide pectique "pectic acid," a constituent of fruit jellies, from Greek pektikos "curdling, congealing," from pektos "curdled, congealed," from pegnynai "to make stiff or solid," from PIE root *pag-/*pak- "to join together" (see pact). Related: Pectic.

pectin in Medicine

pectin pec·tin (pěk'tĭn)
n.
Any of a group of water-soluble colloidal carbohydrates of high molecular weight found in ripe fruits, such as apples, plums, and grapefruit, and used to jell various foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

pectin in Science
pectin
  (pěk'tĭn)   
Any of a group of carbohydrate substances found in the cell walls of plants and in the tissue between certain plant cells. Pectin is produced by the ripening of fruit and helps the ripe fruit remain firm. As the fruit overripens, the pectin breaks down into simple sugars (monosaccharides) and the fruit loses its shape and becomes soft. Pectins can be made to form gels, and are used in certain medicines and cosmetics and in making jellies.