sugar

1 of 2

noun

sug·​ar ˈshu̇-gər How to pronounce sugar (audio)
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 adjective

sugar

2 of 2

verb

sugared; sugaring ˈshu̇-g(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sugar (audio)

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
Turn off the heat then carefully dip the fruit into the hot sugar, rotating it until coated. Steffi Cao, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 The rules also set standards for calories, sugars and fats in these foods. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 Then boil together rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, water and ground sumac. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Both products are supplements and may also contain large amounts of sugar and other stimulants such as guarana. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Vertical drop: 770' Total trails: 28 Total skiable acres: 140 Après-ski: Stop by the cafeteria for the hill's signature jumbo-sized M&M's cookie, and prepare for the ensuing sugar high. Todd Plummer, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 It is sweetened with monk fruit, a non-nutritive sugar substitute. Britannay Scanniello, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2024 Countries in South America have begun implementing front-of-package nutritional labelling that includes clear warnings about fat, sugar and salt levels. Mira Cheng, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
According to Cleveland Clinic of Florida, non-nutritive sweeteners (also called sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners) contain few or no calories or nutrients and may be derived from plants or herbs, or even sugar itself. Caitlin Granfield, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The soldiers stepped outside, where snow sugared the woods and wheat fields. Kamila Hrabchuk, Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2023 Included are a foraging knife with a folding blade, a mesh bag for collecting mushrooms and a sugaring spile for sap from birch or maple trees. Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 25 Oct. 2023 April has its charms as well, with the month marking the peak of the sugaring season (or maple syrup season), which typically runs from the end of February to early May. Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2023 Butter and sugaring the pan make for a crunchy outer layer. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2023 Compared to waxing, sugaring is a similar technique however the mixture is applied in the opposite direction of hair growth, then pulled in the normal direction. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Aug. 2023 Like waxing, people should avoid sugaring within six months of taking Isotrentoin, a medication for cystic acne, Tips: Before trying sugaring at home, watch several videos to understand the process. Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2023 For all of the many methods of body-hair removal out there—from shaving with the best razors to sugaring to waxing and everything else in between—laser hair removal (both professional and at home) is the only strategy that promises more permanent results. elle.com, 6 May 2023

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

Dictionary Entries Near sugar

Cite this Entry

“Sugar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sugar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sugar

1 of 2 noun
sug·​ar ˈshu̇g-ər How to pronounce sugar (audio)
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 How to pronounce sugar (audio)
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 How to pronounce sugar (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sugar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!