sugar

1 of 2

noun

sug·​ar ˈshu̇-gər 

1

a

: a sweet crystallizable material that consists wholly or essentially of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure tending to brown when less refined, is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms, and is important as a source of dietary carbohydrate and as a sweetener and preservative of other foods

b

: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness, include the monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, and typically are optically active

2

: a unit (such as a spoonful, cube, or lump) of sugar

3

: a sugar bowl

sugarless

ˈshu̇-gər-ləs 

adjective

sugar

2 of 2

verb

sugared; sugaring ˈshu̇-g(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to make palatable or attractive : sweeten

a story sugared with romance

2

: to sprinkle or mix with sugar

intransitive verb

1

: to form or be converted into sugar

2

: to become granular

3

: to make maple syrup or maple sugar

Examples of sugar in a Sentence

Noun

Would you pass the sugar, please?

Do you take sugar in your coffee?

Coffee with two sugars and milk, please.

Verb

The clean fruit is then dried and sugared.

They've been sugaring since they were children.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This slow-cooking method, often passed over by more industrialized distilleries in favor of high-pressure autoclaves or diffusers, allows the natural sugars to caramelize gently, preserving the earthy, rich characteristics of the plant. —Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

How to Make Candied Lemon Slices In a large skillet combine ¾ cup sugar and ¼ cup water; bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2025

Verb

Comcast president Mike Cavanagh did not sugar coat a steep loss in broadband subscribers last quarter, but came at it bluntly in opening remarks on a Q1 earnings call Thursday. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025

Agnes is bad at sugaring and — spoiler — doesn’t get better. —Donna Edwards, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sugre, sucre, from Anglo-French sucre, from Medieval Latin zuccarum, from Old Italian zucchero, from Arabic sukkar, from Persian shakar, ultimately from Sanskrit śarkarā; akin to Sanskrit śarkara pebble — more at crocodile

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sugar

• barley sugar
• blood sugar
• brown sugar
• cane sugar
• caster sugar
• castor sugar
• corn sugar
• demerara sugar
• double sugar
• fruit sugar
• grape sugar
• icing sugar
• invert sugar
• malt sugar
• maple sugar
• milk sugar
• non-sugar
• powdered sugar
• simple sugar
• spun sugar
• sugar apple
• sugar beet
• sugar bush
• sugar cube
• sugar daddy
• sugar-free
• sugar glider
• sugar lump
• sugar mama
• sugar maple
• sugar off
• sugar orchard
• sugar pea
• sugar pill
• sugar pine
• sugar snap pea
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• table sugar
• wood sugar

Kids Definition

sugar

1 of 2 noun

sug·​ar ˈshu̇g-ər 

1

: a sweet substance that is made up wholly or mostly of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure, is obtained from plants (as sugarcane or sugar beets), is a source of dietary carbohydrate, and is used as a sweetener and preservative of other foods

2

: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness and make up the simpler carbohydrates

sugar

2 of 2 verb

sugared; sugaring ˈshu̇g-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to make something less hard to take or put up with

sugar advice with praise

2

: to sprinkle or mix with sugar

3

: to change to crystals of sugar

candy sugars when cooked too long

4

: to make maple syrup or maple sugar

Medical Definition

sugar

noun

sug·​ar ˈshu̇g-ər 

1

: a sweet crystallizable substance that consists chiefly of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure and tending to brown when less refined, is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms, and is important as a source of dietary carbohydrate and as a sweetener and preservative for other foods and for drugs and in the chemical industry as an intermediate

2

: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness and comprise the oligosaccharides including sucrose