Adjacent Words

Treacle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TRE'ACLE, n. [L. theriaca; Gr. a wild beast.]
1. The spume of sugar in sugar refineries. Treacle is obtained in refining sugar; molasses is the drainings of crude sugar. Treacle however is often used for molasses.
2. A saccharine fluid, consisting of the inspissated juices or decoctions of certain vegetables, as the sap of the birch, sycamore, etc.
3. A medicinal compound of various ingredients. [See Theriaca.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English triacle, from Anglo-French, from Latin theriaca, from Greek th?riak? antidote against a poisonous bite, from feminine of th?riakos of a wild animal, from th?rion wild animal, diminutive of th?r 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 Reference Dictionary

n. 1 esp. Brit. a a syrup produced in refining sugar. b molasses. 2 cloying sentimentality or flattery. Derivatives: treacly adj. Etymology: ME triacle f. OF f. L theriaca f. Gk theriake antidote against venom, fem. of theriakos (adj.) f. therion wild beast

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

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)

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. (Med.) Theriaca. 2. Syrup, sugar-house molasses. 3. Molasses.

Moby Thesaurus

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