sugar

1 of 2

noun

sug·ar ˈshu̇-gər

: 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

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

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

: a sugar bowl

sugarless

ˈshu̇-gər-ləs

adjective

sugar

2 of 2

verb

sugared; sugaring ˈshu̇-g(ə-)riŋ

transitive verb

: to make palatable or attractive : sweeten

a story sugared with romance

: to sprinkle or mix with sugar

intransitive verb

: to form or be converted into sugar

: to become granular

: to make maple syrup or maple sugar

Example Sentences

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

As for cocktails, the essential is the Irish Coffee, the picturesque glass of coffee, whiskey and sugar topped by a layer of cream, which was invented at Shannon Airport in 1942 to wow high-class transatlantic passengers on their way to the States. —

Maureen O'hare, CNN, 17 Mar. 2023 Translating decades of domestic work experience into a set of strict oral instructions on how to turn past-prime vegetables, vinegar, garlic and sugar into a blissful braise is a recipe. —

Hazlitt, 15 Mar. 2023 Place the semolina, melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir until well combined; set aside. Place the yogurt and baking soda in a medium bowl and stir to combine. —

Tejal Rao, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2023 Some studies show that those who skip breakfast may have worse blood sugar and insulin control. —

Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2023 Most Americans consume too much sodium, sugar and saturated fat, according to government survey data. —

Andrea Petersen, WSJ, 14 Mar. 2023 In a small mixing bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. —

Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2023 The sweeteners used are coconut sugar and maple syrup, and there’s also virgin coconut oil, vanilla extract, and Himalayan pink sea salt. —

Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2023 When ready to serve, garnish with flake salt and whip cream and sugar, if using, into medium-soft peaks; stir in crème fraîche or sour cream and spread over filling. —

Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Mar. 2023

Verb

There is some evidence that lemon juice can slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, thereby preventing a spike in blood sugar. —

Elizabeth Woolley, Verywell Health, 22 Jan. 2023 Green chlorophyll, which dominates during the growing season, absorbs light energy for photosynthesis, the conversion of carbon and water to sugar. —

Josie Garthwaite, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2014 Will sugar or Viagra help my Christmas tree last longer? —

Wyatte Grantham-philips, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2022 This protein binds to sugar molecules on the surfaces of more than 90 different bacteria, viruses and fungi, as well as to the toxins released by dead bacteria. —

Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2014 Peel six lemons, add peels and raspberries to sugar and muddle well to bruise the peels and smash the berries. —

Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2022 Beat in the salt and confectioners sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and beat until smooth and creamy. —

Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 But he may be forced to cut down his trees and switch to sugar cane or wheat if there are a few more years of bad harvests. —

Vibhuti Agarwal, WSJ, 18 June 2022 The lone star tick can also cause a rare reaction, known as alpha-gal syndrome, that causes humans to become allergic to sugar molecules in certain meats, leading to people being unable to eat red meat. —

al, 13 June 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sugar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of sugar was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing sugar

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sugar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sugar. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sugar

1 of 2 noun

sug·ar ˈshu̇g-ər

: 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

: 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

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

sugar advice with praise

: to sprinkle or mix with sugar

: to change to crystals of sugar

candy sugars when cooked too long

: to make maple syrup or maple sugar

Medical Definition

sugar

noun

sug·ar ˈshu̇g-ər

: 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

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