¹sugar

noun sug·ar \ˈshu̇-gər\

: a sweet substance usually in the form of white or brown crystals or white powder that comes from plants and is used to make foods sweeter

: the amount of sugar in one spoonful, lump, packet, etc.

: any one of various substances that are found in plants and that your body uses or stores for energy

Full Definition of SUGAR

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

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

: a sugar bowl

— sug·ar·less \-ləs\ adjective

See sugar defined for English-language learners

See sugar defined for kids

Origin of SUGAR

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: 14th century

Rhymes with SUGAR

booger, bugger

²sugar

verb

: to put sugar on or in (something)

: to make maple syrup or maple sugar by boiling sap from maple trees

sug·aredsug·ar·ing \ˈshu̇-g(ə-)riŋ\

Full Definition of SUGAR

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

See sugar defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of SUGAR

15th century

Rhymes with SUGAR

bugger

SUGARED Defined for Kids

¹sugar

noun sug·ar \ˈshu̇-gər\

Definition of SUGAR for Kids

: a sweet material that consists essentially of sucrose obtained from sugarcane or sugar beets, is typically colorless or white when pure, and is commonly used to sweeten foods and beverages

: any of numerous soluble and usually sweet carbohydrates (as glucose or sucrose) that occur naturally especially in plants

²sugar

verb

su·garedsu·gar·ing

Definition of SUGAR for Kids

: to mix, cover, or sprinkle with sugar <The baker sugared the doughnuts.>

Medical Dictionary

sugar

noun sug·ar \ˈshu̇g-ər\

Medical Definition of SUGAR

: 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