molasses

American  

[muh-las-iz] / məˈlæs ɪz /

noun

1. a thick syrup produced during the refining of sugar or from sorghum, varying from light to dark brown in color.

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molasses British  

/ məˈlæsɪz /

noun

1. the thick brown uncrystallized bitter syrup obtained from sugar during refining

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): treacle.  a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar

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Etymology

Origin of molasses

1575–85; earlier molassos, molasso ( e ) s < Portuguese melaços, plural of melaço (< Late Latin mellācium half-boiled new wine, for *mellāceum, neuter of *mellāceus honeylike, equivalent to mell-, stem of mel honey + -āceus -aceous )

Example Sentences

Rum is typically made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses, the thick treacle-like substance leftover after refined sugar has been produced from the harvested plants.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2025

Distillers threw rotten fruit and molasses waste in the gallon to brew with ammonium chloride to produce something called “snake juice,” which was collected by lepers and taken around the city.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2025

As a child, I loved eating ribs doused in sweet tangy KC BBQ sauce made with molasses, acidic vinegar and spicy chili powder alongside my cousins.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

Or they may appear as other food ingredients, such as molasses, honey, jam, concentrated juice or syrup.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2024

They wiped the molasses from her nose and lifted her up.

From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• maple syrup