molasses
UK: məˈlæs.ɪz | US: məˈlæs.ɪz
n. A thick, dark brown syrup produced during the refining of sugar, used as a sweetener or in cooking.
The word "molasses" traces back to the Latin mellaceus, meaning "honey-like," derived from mel (honey). It entered English via Portuguese mel-açúcar ("honey-sugar") and Old French melasse. The "-es" suffix reflects its common usage as a plural noun (though treated as singular in modern English). The term vividly captures the sticky, sweet nature of the substance, akin to honey.
Molasses is a key ingredient in gingerbread cookies.
The recipe calls for two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses.
Slow as molasses in January.
She stirred the molasses into the batter for extra richness.
The sugar refinery produces molasses as a byproduct.