nectar

noun

nec·​tar ˈnek-tər 

1

a

: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods

b

: something delicious to drink

c

: a beverage of fruit juice and pulp

apricot nectar

2

: a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey

nectarous

ˈnek-t(ə-)rəs 

adjective

Did you know?

Nectar is often mentioned in conjunction with ambrosia, the food of the Greek and Roman gods. For centuries, English speakers have used ambrosia to refer to something with an extremely pleasing taste or smell, and nectar to refer to a delicious drink, especially a fruit juice. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, however, the powers of nectar and ambrosia far exceeded those of any earthly fare; consuming nectar and ambrosia gave the gods their immortality. In Greek, the literal meanings of ambrosia and nectar are "immortality" and "overcoming death," respectively. Nektar is believed to be a compound of Greek nek- (probably akin to Latin nec-, meaning "death") and -tar (probably akin to Sanksrit tarati, meaning "he overcomes or crosses over").

Examples of nectar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hummers might be feasting on natural sources of nectar, turning their significant beaks up at the homemade stuff. —Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2024

Agave nectar: Made from the agave plant (the same plant that is distilled to make tequila), the sap is boiled down into a syrup and used as a sweetener. —Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024

The nectar has made his head, now called Rahu, immortal. —Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024

Vishnu, one of the principal Hindu deities, transforms into the female avatar Mohini and distributes the nectar to the gods. —Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to this vine’s nectar. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024

Fill them with fresh nectar made from one part sugar and four parts water. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2024

The nectar of the pirate’s sweet tobacco was a welcome respite from the anarchy of New Providence. —Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Swallowtails feed on flower nectar and are harmless, beneficial pollinators. —The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek nektar

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

nectar

noun

nec·​tar ˈnek-tər 

1

: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods

2

: a sweet liquid given off by plants and especially by the flowers and used by bees in making honey