sugar
a sweet, crystalline substance, C12H22O11, obtained chiefly from the juice of the sugarcane and the sugar beet, and present in sorghum, maple sap, etc.: used extensively as an ingredient and flavoring of certain foods and as a fermenting agent in the manufacture of certain alcoholic beverages; sucrose.: Compare beet sugar, cane sugar.
Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or a romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter S.
Slang. money.
Slang. LSD
to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.
to make agreeable.
to form sugar or sugar crystals.
to make maple sugar.
sugar off, (in making maple sugar) to complete the boiling down of the syrup in preparation for granulation.
Origin of sugar
1Other words from sugar
- sug·ar·less, adjective
- sug·ar·like, adjective
- non·sug·ar, noun
Words Nearby sugar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sugar in a sentence
If saccharide reminds you of sugar, it’s because sugars are saccharides.
Leaves, for instance, get their green from chlorophyll — the same chemical that helps them make sugar from sunlight.
That let them identify proteins, sugars and metals in the slime.
This tube worm’s glowing slime may help sustain its own shine | Carolyn Wilke | June 5, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThat yeast breaks down glucose, a simple sugar, to make beer’s alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Planets with hydrogen skies could harbor life | Lisa Grossman | June 2, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThey received pollen and a sugar water solution, but no pesticide.
Pesticides can have long-term impact on bumblebee learning | Alison Pearce Stevens | May 18, 2020 | Science News For Students
Alcohol and sugar, even in moderate amounts, are not only sinful but poisonous.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTCook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding | Carla Hall | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding | Carla Hall | December 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTRemove from heat and stir in the walnuts, rum, powdered sugar, and salt until fully incorporated.
Other versions are coated in marzipan, or dusted in powder sugar.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts | Molly Hannon | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis chief duty on the sugar plantation is to keep the monkeys out of the cane.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeBesides, there is always a bunch of bananas hanging inside the house, and he has sugar-cane in abundance.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeUntil a few months ago, the boy has lived on a sugar plantation owned by a rich Tagal planter.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeReceiving small encouragement in England, he applied to sugar-cane planters to give his engines a trial in the West Indies.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickSpain is at war with North America, and now offers us this sugar-plum to draw us to her side to defend her against invasion.
The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
British Dictionary definitions for sugar (1 of 2)
/ (ˈʃʊɡə) /
Also called: sucrose, saccharose a white crystalline sweet carbohydrate, a disaccharide, found in many plants and extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet: it is used esp as a sweetening agent in food and drinks. Formula: C 12 H 22 O 11: Related adjective: saccharine
any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose
(tr) to add sugar to; make sweet
(tr) to cover or sprinkle with sugar
(intr) to produce sugar
sugar the pill or sugar the medicine to make something unpleasant more agreeable by adding something pleasant: the government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes
Origin of sugar
1Derived forms of sugar
- sugarless, adjective
- sugar-like, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Sugar (2 of 2)
/ (ˈʃʊɡə) /
Alan (Michael). Baron. born 1947, British electronics entrepreneur; chairman of Amstrad (1968–2008); noted for his BBC series The Apprentice (from 2005)
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
Scientific definitions for sugar
[ shug′ər ]
Any of a class of crystalline carbohydrates that are water-soluble, have a characteristic sweet taste, and are universally present in animals and plants. They are characterized by the many OH groups they contain. Sugars are monosaccharides or small oligosaccharides, and include sucrose, glucose, and lactose.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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