sugar

[ shoog-er ]

/ ˈʃʊg ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: sugar / sugared / sugaring on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

verb (used with object)

to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.

to make agreeable.

verb (used without object)

to form sugar or sugar crystals.

to make maple sugar.

Verb Phrases

sugar off, (in making maple sugar) to complete the boiling down of the syrup in preparation for granulation.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sugar

1250–1300; Middle English sugre, sucre (noun) <Middle French sucre<Medieval Latin succārum<Italian zucchero<Arabic sukkar; obscurely akin to Persian shakar,Greek sákcharon (see sacchar-)

OTHER WORDS FROM sugar

sug·ar·less, adjectivesug·ar·like, adjectivenon·sug·ar, noun

Words nearby sugar

Sufi, Sufism, Sufu, sug-, súgán, sugar, Sugar Act, sugarallie, sugar apple, sugar baby, sugar bag

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.
Scientists Say: Carbohydrate|Bethany Brookshire|August 24, 2020|Science News For Students
Leaves, for instance, get their green from chlorophyll — the same chemical that helps them make sugar from sunlight.
Let’s learn about colors|Bethany Brookshire|June 11, 2020|Science News For Students
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 Students
That 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 Students

They 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|DAILY BEAST
Cook, 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|DAILY BEAST
In 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|DAILY BEAST
Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts, rum, powdered sugar, and salt until fully incorporated.
Carla Hall’s Christmas Day Treat: Rum Balls|Carla Hall|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
His chief duty on the sugar plantation is to keep the monkeys out of the cane.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
Besides, 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 Wade
Until 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 Wade
Receiving 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 Trevithick
Spain 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)

sugar

/ (ˈʃʊɡə) /

noun

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 11Related adjective: saccharine

any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose

informal, mainly US and Canadian a term of affection, esp for one's sweetheart

rare a slang word for money

a slang name for LSD

verb

(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 pleasantthe government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes

Derived forms of sugar

sugarless, adjectivesugar-like, adjective

Word Origin for sugar

C13 suker, from Old French çucre, from Medieval Latin zuccārum, from Italian zucchero, from Arabic sukkar, from Persian shakar, from Sanskrit śarkarā

British Dictionary definitions for sugar (2 of 2)

Sugar

/ (ˈʃʊɡə) /

noun

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

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.

sugar

Origin of sugar

OTHER WORDS FROM sugar

Words nearby sugar

Words related to sugar

How to use sugar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sugar (1 of 2)

Derived forms of sugar

Word Origin for sugar

British Dictionary definitions for sugar (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for sugar