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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
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Stick to native species and cultivars with single-type flowers, as these provide a rich source of nectar to butterflies and native bees as well as nutritious seeds that attract songbirds in autumn.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Bees suck the sugary substance from the plants and the nectar mixes with other substances in their digestive system.
—Daniel More, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2025
To attract colorful and feisty hummingbirds, keep their feeders full of nectar.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Nectar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nectar. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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nectar
noun
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