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 round, white, grape-sized blooms are prickly, too, but that doesn’t keep bees and other pollinators from finding nectar in hundreds of tiny flowers within. — Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026

Bees are very attracted to clusters of tiny flowers containing lots of nectar—think goldenrod, yarrow, and allium. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 July 2026

Adults feed on pollen, nectar and honeydew and are valuable pollinators. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026

To a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, add tequila, fresh watermelon juice or purée, the juice of one lime, agave nectar, and fresh mint. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek nektar

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for nectar

• hector
• lector
• rector
• sector
• specter
• spectre
• vector
• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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