caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkär-məl  ˈker-ə-məl 

ˈka-rə-,

-ˌmel

1

: a usually firm to brittle, golden-brown to dark brown substance that has a sweet, nutty, buttery, or bitter flavor, is obtained by heating sugar at high temperature, and used especially as a coloring and flavoring agent

Caramel is an ingredient in many candies.

2

: a firm, chewy, usually caramel-flavored candy made with sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter

a bag of caramels

Examples of caramel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Martha Stewart toted a caramel Birkin to her 2004 insider trading trial. —Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Alaïa designed a knee-high boot with a futuristic silver wedge, available in a stunning caramel hue. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 24 Apr. 2024

Pick up the stools in four colors, including caramel brown and ink black. —Monica Bell, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024

These beers often have caramel notes, too — a bonus pairing. —Jay R. Brooks, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024

The rich caramel frosting is finished with a touch of flaky sea salt for the right balance of salty and sweet. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2024

These are filled with almond cream and a salted, caramel custard-style swirl. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

But Smith and his team have managed to show some restraint by removing the wood from the barrels before things got out of hand, resulting in rich notes of cherry, dark chocolate, caramel, and toffee. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2024

Dessert included salted caramel pistachio cake, a matcha ganache, and ice cream. —Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing caramel

• crème caramel

Kids Definition

caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkär-məl  ˈkar-ə-məl 

-ˌmel

1

: burnt sugar used for coloring and flavoring

2

: a firm chewy candy

Medical Definition

caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkar-ə-məl  -ˌmel; ˈkär-məl 

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