nectar

American  

[nek-ter] / ˈnɛk tər /

noun

nectars plural

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

Derived Forms

• nectareous
  adjective
• nectarlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nectars
  plural

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

See Examples For:

nectar nectars

The nectar return has to make the expenditure of energy worthwhile.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Aero warms the water and incorporates the matcha, leaving you with a frothy base to serve on its own or mix with milk, lemonade, peach nectar or even espresso.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Female A. regularis create underground nests and place eggs in chambers filled with pollen and nectar.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026

Janine Griffiths-Lee, a pollination research lead, said that trees provided "sources of pollen and nectar earlier in the season".

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Nine days Demeter wandered, and all that time she would not taste of ambrosia or put sweet nectar to her lips.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

But when Baby and colleagues teased out the contents of the nectars of N. khasiana and several other pitcher plants growing in their institute’s botanic garden, they found something unexpected.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 29, 2023

Many plants contain bitter substances such as nicotine and caffeine to deter herbivores, but these substances are also found in low concentrations in some floral nectars.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 16, 2023

Look one way and you’ll see Gina mango nectars and Calamansi fruit sodas.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2021

It can also make luscious, ambrosial nectars that are syrupy sweet while still lively and refreshing, which can likewise grow more complex for decades.

From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2021

The adult lacewing feeds mostly on plant nectars and the honeydew of aphids, and in time she lays her eggs, each on the end of a long stalk which she fastens to a leaf.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• honey