complex carbohydrate
nounUK /ˈkɒm.plɛks kɑː.bəʊˈhaɪ.dreɪt/
US /kəmˈplɛks kɑːr.boʊˈhaɪ.dreɪt/
A complex carbohydrate is a kind of food that gives your body slow, steady energy.
Oats and brown rice are complex carbohydrates that keep you full for a long time.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A carbohydrate made of long chains of sugar molecules that take longer to digest.
Chemists classify starch and cellulose as complex carbohydrates.
3. A food group recommended for sustained energy in sports nutrition.
Runners often load up on complex carbohydrates before a race.
4. In biology, a large molecule built from many monosaccharides linked together.
The plant stores complex carbohydrates in its roots for winter.