treacle
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English triacle, partly from Old French triacle, and partly from Old English tiriaca, both from Late Latin *triaca, *tiriaca, late form of theriaca, ultimately from Ancient Greek θηριακή (thēriakḗ, “antidote”), feminine form of θηριακός (thēriakós, “concerning venomous beasts”), from θήρ (thḗr, “beast”). Compare theriac, theriacle.
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
A cup of curd with treacle being poured upon it
treacle (countable and uncountable, plural treacles)
- (chiefly Britain) A syrupy byproduct of sugar refining; molasses or golden syrup.
- Cloying sentimental speech.
- 2012 July 22, Frank Rich, “Mayberry R.I.P.”, in New York[1]:
- The public tributes to Griffith were over-the-top in a way his acting never was, spreading treacle from the evening newscasts to the front page of the New York Times.
- (Cockney rhyming slang) Sweetheart (from treacle tart).
- Listen, treacle, this is the last time I'll warn you!
- (obsolete) An antidote for poison; theriac.
- (obsolete, figuratively) Any all-powerful curative; a general remedy, a cure-all.
- c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, I:
- For trewthe telleþ þat loue · is triacle of heuene.
- c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, I:
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
molasses or golden syrup
cloying sentimental speech
|
|
antidote for poison
|
VerbEdit
treacle (third-person singular simple present treacles, present participle treacling, simple past and past participle treacled)
- To apply treacle to a surface, so as to catch flies or moths, etc.