molasses
Americannoun
noun
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the thick brown uncrystallized bitter syrup obtained from sugar during refining
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): treacle. a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During my visit, a convention, limited valet, and general crowding from the adjacent stadium created a kind of urban molasses.
From Salon • May 28, 2025
Add spiced chickpeas, peppery arugula, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses — and suddenly, you’re not eating for fuel.
From Salon • May 19, 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
When classical music meets pop, it often feels like the songs are drowning in molasses.
From BBC • Sep. 12, 2024
“I can’t be positive,” Grandpa said, “but I’d be willing to bet my last bucket of sorghum molasses on it.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
