treacle

noun

trea·​cle ˈtrē-kəl How to pronounce treacle (audio)
1
chiefly British
a
b
: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup

called also golden syrup

2
: something (such as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying
3
: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison

Did you know?

Treacle begins in ancient Greece. The Greek word thēriakos, meaning "of a wild animal," came from thērion ("wild animal"). Since wild animals are often known to bite, these words gave rise to thēriakē, meaning "antidote against a poisonous bite." Latin borrowed thēriakē as theriaca. Those roots gave life to treacle referring to molasses (developing from the "antidote" sense). The "molasses" sense was extended to things excessively sweet or sentimental.

Examples of treacle in a Sentence

The book is ruined by all the treacle about his childhood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Save room for dessert, a sticky treat of medjool dates, black treacle, baharat chantilly and crumble. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025 The fixture congestion is not causing every fitness problem, far from it, but medical progress can only mitigate so much when players are running through treacle. Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 This wonderful complexity culminates in a generous, Oloroso-like finish, dancing with treacle, tobacco, and mahogany tones. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 After a morning in the surf, Cape Weligama’s open-air Ocean Terrace restaurant offered a feast: thick, creamy buffalo curd served with coconut treacle; baskets of lacy, crisp egg hoppers; fragrant green bean yellow curry served with regional red rice and crispy pappadums. Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for treacle

Word History

Etymology

Middle English triacle, from Anglo-French, from Latin theriaca, from Greek thēriakē antidote against a poisonous bite, from feminine of thēriakos of a wild animal, from thērion wild animal, diminutive of thēr wild animal — more at fierce

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of treacle was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Treacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treacle. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

treacle

noun
trea·​cle ˈtrē-kəl How to pronounce treacle (audio)
chiefly British

Medical Definition

treacle

noun
trea·​cle ˈtrē-kəl How to pronounce treacle (audio)
: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison

More from Merriam-Webster on treacle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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