nectar

American  

[nek-ter] / ˈnɛk tər /

noun

1. the saccharine secretion of a plant, which attracts the insects or birds that pollinate the flower.

2. the juice of a fruit, especially when not diluted, or a blend of fruit juices.

   pear nectar; tropical nectar.

3. Classical Mythology. the life-giving drink of the gods.

4. any delicious drink.

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nectar British  

/ nɛkˈtɛərɪəs, ˈnɛktə /

noun

1. a sugary fluid produced in the nectaries of plants and collected by bees and other animals

2. classical myth the drink of the gods Compare ambrosia

3. any delicious drink, esp a sweet one

4. something very pleasant or welcome

   your words are nectar to me

5. 1. the undiluted juice of a fruit

   2. a mixture of fruit juices

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nectar Scientific  

/ nĕk′tər /

1. A sweet liquid secreted by plants as food to attract animals that will benefit them. Many flowers produce nectar to attract pollinating insects, birds, and bats. Bees collect nectar to make into honey. Nectar is produced in structures called nectaries. Some plants have nectaries located elsewhere, outside the flower. These provide a food source for animals such as ants which in turn defend the plant from harmful insects. Nectar consists primarily of water and varying concentrations of many different sugars, including fructose, glucose, and sucrose.

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Other Word Forms

• nectareous
  adjective
• nectarlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of nectar

1545–55; < Latin < Greek néktar

Explanation

Delicious, sweet, and special, nectar is the best juice you can imagine. When the ancient Greeks visualized the gods having a party on their Olympian lawns, they saw nectar in their cups. Nectar was originally used to describe the drinks of the gods, but regular old humans need the good stuff too. Serious wine lovers would describe their drink as nectar, while the serious raw food eater might save the term for a ginger-beet-cayenne juice. If you ask the hummingbird, she would give you a very tiny straw and direct you to the nectaries of a flower.

Example Sentences

He trained hummingbirds to eat nectar out of his hand and posted the videos on Instagram.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The film cuts to a hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower on a cactus, a sea turtle floating over a coral reef, pink flamingos on a green lake, a snowflake, a butterfly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Even so, nectar contains other compounds, such as nicotine and caffeine, that are known to influence animal behavior.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Caporale suggests adding agave nectar to sweeten the lime juice base, along with orange juice or orange peel to compensate for the lack of triple sec.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

Looking at the child, I suddenly became hungry for my country, for its fat bees carrying nectar from apple flowers and for the birds singing in clusters of hazel.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

Related Words

• honey