treacle

[ tree-kuh l ]
/ ˈtri kəl /

noun

contrived or unrestrained sentimentality: a movie plot of the most shameless treacle.
British.
  1. molasses, especially that which is drained from the vats used in sugar refining.
  2. Also called golden syrup. a mild mixture of molasses, corn syrup, etc., used in cooking or as a table syrup.
Pharmacology Obsolete. any of various medicinal compounds, formerly used as antidotes for poison.

Origin of treacle

1275–1325; Middle English, variant of triacle antidote < Middle French, Old French < Latin thēriaca < Greek thēriakḗ, noun use of feminine of thēriakós concerning wild beasts, equivalent to thērí(on) wild beast ( thḗr wild beast + -ion diminutive suffix) + -akos -ac

OTHER WORDS FROM treacle

trea·cly [tree-klee] /ˈtri kli/, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for treacle

British Dictionary definitions for treacle

treacle
/ (ˈtriːkəl) /

noun

Also called: black treacle British a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar
British another name for golden syrup
anything sweet and cloying
obsolete any of various preparations used as an antidote to poisoning

Derived forms of treacle

treacly, adjective treacliness, noun

Word Origin for treacle

C14: from Old French triacle, from Latin thēriaca antidote to poison