sugar
/ˈʃʊɡə(ɹ)/ · sug·ar
noun
- Sucrose in the form of small crystals, obtained from sugar cane or sugar beet and used to sweeten food and drink. She added sugar to her coffee.
- A specific variety of sugar. He bought a bag of brown sugar.
- Any of various small carbohydrates that are used by organisms to store energy. Plants store sugar in their roots.
verb
- To add sugar to; to sweeten with sugar. John heavily sugars his coffee.
- To make (something unpleasant) seem less so. She has a gift for sugaring what would otherwise be harsh words.
- In making maple sugar, to complete the process of boiling down the syrup till it is thick enough to crystallize; to approach or reach the state of granulation; with the preposition off. The maple syrup is now ready to sugar off.
interjection
- Used in place of shit! Oh, sugar!
Did you know? The word 'sugar' has been used in various idiomatic expressions, such as 'sugar and spice and everything nice', which is a phrase from a traditional nursery rhyme.