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definitions

butterscotch

[buht-er-skoch]
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noun

a flavor produced in puddings, frostings, ice cream, etc., by combining brown sugar, vanilla extract, and butter with other ingredients.
a hard, brittle taffy made with butter, brown sugar, etc.
a golden brown color.

adjective

having the flavor of butterscotch.

Origin of butterscotch

First recorded in 1850–55; earlier also butterscot; the 2nd element of the compound is unexplained
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for butterscotch

Contemporary Examples of butterscotch

Historical Examples of butterscotch

  • He produced a bit of butterscotch, which restored the small maiden's serenity for a minute.

    We Two

    Edna Lyall

  • Neither is it paralysis, butterscotch, or three spades re-doubled.

  • And the candy-store was next door; the butterscotch they sold there!

    The Woman from Outside

    Hulbert Footner

  • Over these I rejoiced like a yokel with a pocketful of butterscotch and peanuts.

  • He pulled out a jolly lot of chocolate and some butterscotch, and grapes for Noel.

British Dictionary definitions for butterscotch

butterscotch

noun

a kind of hard brittle toffee made with butter, brown sugar, etc
  1. a flavouring made from these ingredients
  2. (as modifier)butterscotch icing

Word Origin for butterscotch

C19: perhaps first made in Scotland, or perhaps from scotch 1 (sense 3), 'to cut or score', because it was originally cut with a knife into small pieces
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012