sugar

[ shoo g-er ]

/ ˈʃʊg ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sugar 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.

Nearby words

suffusion, sufi, sufism, sufu, sug-, sugar, sugar act, sugar apple, sugar bag, sugar basin, sugar beet

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-)

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sugar

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
Like Lent, the season of Advent was a period of reflection and fasting, and items such as dairy and sugar were forbidden.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts|Molly Hannon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And so it was that the federal government did not shut down just when we all had visions of sugar plumbs dancing in our heads.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Some of these cereals, Smith pointed out, were 60-percent sugar.
Cereal Cafe’s Big Bowl of Hate|David Levesley|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cover with one cup of sugar and then let stand for one-half hour.
Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book|Mary A. Wilson
Beat the yolks of the eggs for 10 minutes with the sugar and lemon rind.
The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book|Thomas R. Allinson
It is true that there are sugar and coffee, but no corn, no potatoes, and none of our delicious varieties of fruit.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
The Chinese element was brought over by contract for working on sugar plantations.
Industrial Cuba|Robert P. Porter
Yet another improvement which this firm have introduced into their sugar machinery is in connection with the juice-heaters.
Salvador of the Twentieth Century|Percy F. Martin

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

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

Medicine definitions for sugar

sugar

[ shug′ər ]

n.

A crystalline or powdered substance consisting of sucrose obtained mainly from sugar cane and sugar beets and used in many medicines to improve their taste.

Any of a class of water-soluble crystalline carbohydrates, including sucrose and lactose, having a characteristically sweet taste and classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and trisaccharides.

Science 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

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Origin of sugar

Related forms

Examples from the Web for sugar

British Dictionary definitions for sugar (1 of 2)

sugar

noun

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for sugar

British Dictionary definitions for sugar (2 of 2)

Sugar

noun

Medicine definitions for sugar

sugar

n.

Science definitions for sugar

sugar