carboxymethylcellulose
noun
car·boxy·meth·yl·cel·lu·lose
kär-ˌbäk-sē-ˌme-thəl-ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs 
-ˌlōz
: an acid ether derivative of cellulose that in the form of its sodium salt is used as a thickening, emulsifying, and stabilizing agent and as a bulk laxative in medicine
Examples of carboxymethylcellulose in a Sentence
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Only two of them—the synthetic emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose (found in vitamins and dietary supplements) and polysorbate 80 (usually in edible oils and cake icing)—were determined to have lasting negative consequences.
—
Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
Those tampons contained ingredients like polyester foam and carboxymethylcellulose, a thickening agent that enabled more expansion than other tampons did, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
—Korin Miller, SELF, 23 Jan. 2018
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Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025
Those tampons contained ingredients like polyester foam and carboxymethylcellulose, a thickening agent that enabled more expansion than other tampons did, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
—Korin Miller, SELF, 23 Jan. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Carboxymethylcellulose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carboxymethylcellulose. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
carboxymethylcellulose
noun
car·boxy·meth·yl·cel·lu·lose
(ˌ)kär-ˌbäk-sē-ˌmeth-əl-ˈsel-yə-ˌlōs, -ˌlōz
: an acid ether derivative of cellulose that in the form of its sodium salt is used as a thickening, emulsifying, and stabilizing agent and as a bulk laxative in medicine
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