caramel
Americannoun
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caramels
plural
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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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
It comprises a chocolate shell with biscuit pieces, chocolate and vanilla ice cream layers, and a caramel lava centre which he describes as "four dimensional".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
They switch up their flavors often, but my favorite is the salted caramel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
A chatbot is ready to take your order for a Mint Oreo Blizzard with cheesecake pieces and caramel topping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
The brown butter lends a nutty undertone and caramel depth, a quiet bitterness that keeps the sweetness in check.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
There were all different sorts—chocolate with chocolate frosting, chocolate with vanilla frosting, red velvet, Oreo flavor, peanut butter, sprinkles, caramel.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Her Little Flower Cafe became a popular Pasadena gathering spot where caramels and marshmallows became hot gifts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
Garten offers additional table-setting ideas, including those with pumpkins, candy corn, chocolate-covered caramels and pears.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
I’ll never forget stumbling upon Gruyère caramels in a grocery store—yes, really.
From Salon ● May 24, 2025
Place the caramels and the cream in the top pan of the double boiler, or the saucepan in the skillet.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 1, 2023
Sometimes we bought her smoked corn on the cob sprinkled with lemon juice, or two paisa caramels.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
