glycoside

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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.

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