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TREACLE DEFINITIONS - 11 definitions found
TREACLE was my What's The Word? choice for Thursday, Nov 27, 2008
treacle n 1: a pale cane syrup [syn: treacle, golden syrup] 2: writing or music that is excessively sweet and sentimental [syn: treacle, mush, slop, glop] treacle electra treacle 1340, "medicinal compound, antidote for poison," from O.Fr. triacle "antidote," from L. theriaca, from Gk. theriake (antidotos) "antidote for poisonous wild animals," from fem. of theriakos "of a wild animal," from therion "wild animal," dim. of ther (gen. theros) "wild animal." Sense of "molasses" is first recorded 1694; that of "anything too sweet or sentimental" is from 1771. The connection may be from the use of molasses as a laxative, or its use to disguise the bad taste of medicine. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) treacle noun Etymology: Middle English triacle, from Anglo-French, from Latin theriaca, from Greek thēriakē antidote against a poisonous bite, from feminine of thēriakos of a wild animal, from thērion wild animal, diminutive of thēr wild animal — more at fierce Date: 14th century 1. a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2. chiefly British a. molasses b. a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup — called also golden syrup 3. something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary treacle Treacle is a thick, sweet, sticky liquid that is obtained when sugar is processed. It is used in making cakes and puddings. (BRIT; in AM, use molasses) N-UNCOUNT English Explanatory Dictionary treacle ˈtri:kl n. 1 esp. Brit. a a syrup produced in refining sugar. b molasses. 2 cloying sentimentality or flattery. øøtreacly adj. [ME triacle f. OF f. L theriaca f. Gk theriake antidote against venom, fem. of theriakos (adj.) f. therion wild beast] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Treacle \Trea"cle\ (tr[=e]"k'l), n. [OE. triacle a sovereign remedy, theriac, OF. triacle, F. th['e]riaque (cf. Pr. triacla, tiriaca, Sp. & It. triaca, teriaca), L. theriaca an antidote against the bite of poisonous animals, Gr. ?, fr. ? of wild or venomous beasts, fr. qhri`on a beast, a wild beast, dim. of qh`r a beast. Cf. Theriac.] 1. (Old Med.) A remedy against poison. See Theriac, 1. We kill the viper, and make treacle of him. --Jer. Taylor. 2. A sovereign remedy; a cure. [Obs.] Christ which is to every harm treacle. --Chaucer. 3. Molasses; sometimes, specifically, the molasses which drains from the sugar-refining molds, and which is also called sugarhouse molasses. Note: In the United States molasses is the common name; in England, treacle. 4. A saccharine fluid, consisting of the inspissated juices or decoctions of certain vegetables, as the sap of the birch, sycamore, and the like. Treacle mustard (Bot.), a name given to several species of the cruciferous genus Erysimum, especially the E. cheiranthoides}, which was formerly used as an ingredient in Venice treacle, or theriac. Treacle water, a compound cordial prepared in different ways from a variety of ingredients, as hartshorn, roots of various plants, flowers, juices of plants, wines, etc., distilled or digested with Venice treacle. It was formerly regarded as a medicine of great virtue. --Nares. Venice treacle. (Old Med.) Same as Theriac, 1. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms treacle n. 1. ( Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 71 Moby Thesaurus words for "treacle": albumen, ambrosia, artificial sweetener, batter, blackstrap, bonnyclabber, butter, calcium cyclamate, cane syrup, clabber, clover honey, comb honey, corn syrup, cornstarch, cream, curd, cyclamates, dough, edulcoration, egg white, gaum, gel, gelatin, glair, glop, glue, gluten, goo, gook, goop, gruel, gumbo, gunk, honey, honeycomb, honeydew, honeypot, jam, jell, jelly, loblolly, maple syrup, molasses, mucilage, mucus, nectar, pap, paste, porridge, pudding, pulp, puree, putty, rob, saccharification, saccharin, semifluid, semiliquid, size, sodium cyclamate, sorghum, soup, starch, sticky mess, sugar, sugar-making, sugaring off, sweetener, sweetening, sweets, syrup |
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