a complex gelatinous carbohydrate obtained from seaweeds, esp those of the genus Gelidium, used as a culture medium for bacteria, a laxative, in food such as ice cream as a thickening agent (E406), etc
Also called: agar-agar
Word origin
C19: Malay
agar in American English
(ˈɑgər; ˈeɪˌgər; ˌɑgɑr; ˈeɪˌgɑr)
noun
1.
a gelatinous product made from seaweed and used as a base for bacterial cultures, as a laxative, in jellied and preserved foods, in electrophoresis, etc.
2.
a base containing agar
Also ˈaˈgar-agar
Word origin
Malay
Examples of 'agar' in a sentence
agar
A pan perched on a small cookstove on the floor held a cracked sheen of agar.