caramel
[ kar-uh-muh l, -mel, kahr-muh l ]
/ ˈkær ə məl, -ˌmɛl, ˈkɑr məl /
noun
a liquid made by cooking sugar until it changes color, used for coloring and flavoring food.
a kind of chewy candy, commonly in small blocks, made from sugar, butter, milk, etc.
a yellowish brown or tan color.
QUIZZES
DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?
"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
Origin of caramel
1715–25; < French < Spanish or Portuguese caramelo < 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., sugar cane, equivalent to Latin canna cane + mel honey (genitive mellis)
Words nearby caramel
caragana, carageen, caramanlis, caramba, carambola, caramel, caramelize, carangid, carangoid, carapa, carapace
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for caramel
British Dictionary definitions for caramel
caramel
/ (ˈkærəməl, -ˌmɛl) /
noun
burnt sugar, used for colouring and flavouring food
a chewy sweet made from sugar, butter, milk, etc
See also crème caramel
Word Origin for caramel
C18: from French, from Spanish caramelo, of uncertain origin
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