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sugar
sugarnouna sweet, crystalline substance, C 1 2 H 2 2 O 1 1 , 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.
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Sugar
SugarnounAlan ( Michael ). Baron. born 1947, British electronics entrepreneur; chairman of Amstrad (1968–2008); noted for his BBC series The Apprentice (from 2005)
sugar
Americannoun
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a sweet, crystalline substance, C 1 2 H 2 2 O 1 1 , 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.
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Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.
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(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).
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a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter S.
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Slang. money.
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Slang. LSD
verb (used with object)
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to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.
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to make agreeable.
verb (used without object)
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to form sugar or sugar crystals.
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to make maple sugar.
verb phrase
noun
noun
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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
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any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose
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informal a term of affection, esp for one's sweetheart
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rare a slang word for money
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a slang name for LSD
verb
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(tr) to add sugar to; make sweet
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(tr) to cover or sprinkle with sugar
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(intr) to produce sugar
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to make something unpleasant more agreeable by adding something pleasant
the government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes
Other Word Forms
Etymology
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-)
Explanation
Sugar is the sweet stuff that makes candy and other treats extra delicious, but eating too much of it is bad for you. Sugar isn’t only a food, it’s also an essential part of living cells and a source of energy for all animals. There are two main senses of sugar. First is refined sugar — the crystals that sweeten and preserve many foods. This yummy stuff comes from the sugarcane and sugar beet plants, and really hit the scene in the 18th and 19th centuries when sugar plantations spread and more people could get sugar. The other kind of sugar refers to biochemistry, and these sugars are an important part of the cells of all living things.
Vocabulary lists containing sugar
Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms - Introductory
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National Cookie Day
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Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms - Middle School
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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.
In this case, fish oil appeared to improve blood sugar regulation not simply by changing fat levels, but by changing the inflammatory environment that helps drive insulin resistance.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Another 2024 analysis in Nutrition and Diabetes used modeling data from 161 patients with type 2 diabetes to explore the relationship between omega-3 levels and HbA1c, a longer term marker of blood sugar control.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
He adds: "Putin was playing this sort of very, very, I suppose, traditional Soviet leadership role, but he was doing it in an era of the reality show, MTV and sugar daddies."
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Analysts say other agricultural commodities, from sugar to natural rubber, could get more expensive, but some crop-producing regions could benefit.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
I pocket his money and walk away from them, letting my nose lead me to the sugar shack while I rub furiously at the mocking smiles, try to make them and what they represent disappear.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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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.