caramel

noun car·a·mel \ ˈkär-məl ; ˈker-ə-məl , ˈka-rə- , -ˌmel \

Definition of caramel

1 :an amorphous, brittle, brown, and somewhat bitter substance that is obtained by heating sugar and used as a coloring and flavoring agent

Caramel is an ingredient in many carbonated beverages.

2 :a firm chewy usually caramel-flavored candy

a bag of caramels

See caramel defined for English-language learners

See caramel defined for kids

Recent Examples of caramel from the Web

At the Granby shop, the most popular flavors are Hulk (mint Oreo); Cookies & Cream and Brownie Delight, with a chocolate ice cream base. Salted caramel pretzel is another favorite, along with Tarzan Lover, a banana-and-Nutella creation.

— leeanne griffin, courant.com, "Rolled Ice Cream Trend Hits Connecticut," 28 Aug. 2017
Baby Brown (a milk chocolate), Berry Me (a deep raspberry), Mauve Over (a dusty mauve), and Send Nudes (a caramel) fit Johnson's happy shade medium.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Mented Cosmetics Is Launching Lip Glosses Specifically for Women of Color," 23 Aug. 2017
Spread ½ cup caramel sauce over bottom of crust; sprinkle with sea salt.

— Bon Appetit, "Rocky Road Ice Cream Pie," 15 Aug. 2017
Mickey Candy Apple A Granny Smith apple swathed in caramel, covered in chocolate, and decorated like Mickey Mouse?

— a.j. wolfe, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 10 Most Essential Foods at Disneyland," 14 Aug. 2017
The snowy shavings are layered with caramel, whipped cream and melting bits of fragrant jellied coffee, Earl Grey tea or matcha, in a lush new variation on ancient Japanese kakigori (shaved ice) and modern Japanese parfaits.

— julia moskin, New York Times, "Icy, Sweet and Instagram-Ready," 8 Aug. 2017
Desserts include a Bananas Foster pizza, an apple pie calzone and a cinnamon-caramel-and-chocolate churro concoction.

— bob carlton, AL.com, "Pizza restaurant and bar opens in Birmingham's Lakeview District," 12 July 2017
Even the conservative caramel beige integrates gracefully with the dramatic door trim drapery.

— star-telegram, "An Exuberant Spirit: The all-new Lexus LC 500 exudes luxurious edginess," 5 July 2017
In the midsection, there is both rose and tuberose to help balance all of the other confectionary notes, and the base is made up of vanilla, caramel, amber, and musk.

— tynan sinks, Allure, "We Found the Perfect Fragrance for Every Conceivable Summer Scenario," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caramel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of caramel

French, from Spanish caramelo, from Portuguese, icicle, caramel, from Late Latin calamellus small reed — more at shawm

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1653

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

CARAMEL Defined for English Language Learners

caramel

noun

Definition of caramel for English Language Learners

: a light brown candy made from butter, sugar, and milk or cream
: sugar that is cooked until it is burnt and that is used to give color and flavor to food
: a light brown color

CARAMEL Defined for Kids

caramel

noun car·a·mel \ ˈkär-məl , ˈker-ə-məl \

Definition of caramel for Students

1 :a firm chewy candy

2 :burnt sugar used for coloring and flavoring

Medical Dictionary

caramel

noun car·a·mel \ ˈkar-ə-məl , -ˌmel; ˈkär-məl \

medical Definition of caramel

:an amorphous brittle brown and somewhat bitter substance obtained by heating sugar and used as a coloring and flavoring agent

Learn More about caramel

See words that rhyme with caramel Spanish Central: Translation of caramel Nglish: Translation of caramel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of caramel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caramel

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caramel

Definition of caramel

Recent Examples of caramel from the Web

Origin and Etymology of caramel

Other Food Terms

CARAMEL Defined for English Language Learners

caramel

Definition of caramel for English Language Learners

CARAMEL Defined for Kids

caramel

Definition of caramel for Students

Medical Dictionary

caramel

medical Definition of caramel

Learn More about caramel

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caramel

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caramel

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