Word of the Day

: May 11, 2008

treacle

noun TREE-kul

What It Means

1 : a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison

2 a : molasses

b : a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup

3 : something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying

treacle in Context

The film is engaging for about an hour, but then it nose-dives into sentimental treacle and never recovers.

Did You Know?

The long history of "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," and the word eventually entered Anglo-French -- and then Middle English -- as "triacle." The senses of "treacle" that refer to molasses developed from the earlier "antidote" sense. The "molasses" sense, in turn, was extended to give us a word for things excessively sweet or sentimental.