molasses

[ muh-las-iz ]
/ məˈlæs ɪz /

noun

a thick syrup produced during the refining of sugar or from sorghum, varying from light to dark brown in color.

Origin of molasses

1575–85; earlier molassos, molasso(e)s < Portuguese melaços, plural of melaço (< Late Latin mellācium half-boiled new wine, for *mellāceum, neuter of *mellāceus honeylike, equivalent to mell-, stem of mel honey + -āceus -aceous)

Example sentences from the Web for molasses

British Dictionary definitions for molasses

molasses
/ (məˈlæsɪz) /

noun (functioning as singular)

the thick brown uncrystallized bitter syrup obtained from sugar during refining
US and Canadian a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): treacle

Word Origin for molasses

C16: from Portuguese melaço, from Late Latin mellāceum must, from Latin mel honey