caramel
Americannoun
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a liquid made by cooking sugar until it changes color, used for coloring and flavoring food.
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a kind of chewy candy, commonly in small blocks, made from sugar, butter, milk, etc.
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a yellowish brown or tan color.
noun
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burnt sugar, used for colouring and flavouring food
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a chewy sweet made from sugar, butter, milk, etc
Usage
What is caramel? Caramel is a liquid made by heating sugar until it changes to a brownish color. Caramel is used for coloring or flavoring food. Caramel is often used as a flavoring or sauce for a variety of foods, especially desserts, such as caramel ice cream and caramel-coated popcorn. The word caramel can also refer to a chewy candy made from the heated sugar, milk, butter, and other ingredients. It’s often shaped into cubes and is sometimes covered in chocolate, which you might find in a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates. Finally, caramel can refer to a tan or yellowish-brown color that resembles the color of the sugary liquid, as in The cat had a caramel-colored tail. Example: My favorite candy is a chocolate bar filled with caramel.
Etymology
Origin of caramel
First recorded in 1715–25; from French, from Spanish or Portuguese caramelo, from Late Latin calamellus “little reed” (by dissimilation), equivalent to calam(us) reed ( see calamus) + -ellus diminutive suffix; meaning changed by association with Medieval Latin cannamella, canna mellis, etc., “sugarcane,” equivalent to Latin canna cane + mel “honey” (genitive mellis )
Compare meaning
How does caramel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Caramel is a sticky or runny sweet that's made from slightly burnt sugar. You might prefer your vanilla ice cream topped with caramel. Caramel can be used in many ways — to flavor foods, pour on top of desserts, or form into a soft, chewy candy. You can also use the word to describe the milky brown color itself: "She's the one with the long, caramel colored hair." In French, caramel means "burnt sugar," which comes from the Latin cannamellis, a combination of canna, "cane," and mel, "honey."
Vocabulary lists containing caramel
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nana, whose real name is Im Jin-ah, is a singer-turned-actress with a strong fan base who first rose to prominence as part of Orange Caramel, a sub-unit of the girl group After School.
From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025
They were doused in a fragrance called Caramel Swirl, a mashup of notes that they liked because it remind them of Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
He conceived of a food truck catering company that would serve those little doughnuts, fresh and warm in a tray topped with bits and bobs in combinations called S’mores or Salted Caramel Pretzel.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2024
Caramel Sauce will indeed cover a variety of sins, over-baking being one.
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2024
We go up an aisle and grab off-brand snacks I’ve never heard of: Sour Patch Adults, Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Cream, Rainbow-Colored Chews, and my favorite, A Chocolate Bar with Peanuts and Caramel.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
