Dictionary

molasses en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /məˈlasɪz/ Scots
• /məʊˈlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /məˈlæsɪz/ (General-American)
• [məˈlæsɪz] (General-American)
• /məˈlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• [məˈlæsɪz] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [mɵˈlæsɪz] (General-American)

Etymology

From Portuguese melaços or Spanish melazos, from Late Latin mellacium (“must, honey-sweet thing”), from mel (“honey”) + -āceus (“-aceous”) + -ium, q.v. Some alternative forms derived or influenced by Spanish melaza and French mélasse, conjectured to derive from unattested Late Latin mellacea, from mel + -ācea.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) A thick, sweet syrup drained from sugarcane, especially (Canada, US) the still thicker and sweeter syrup produced by boiling down raw molasses.
   • When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose. And the queerer the cure for those ailings the bigger the attraction. A place like the Right Livers' Rest was bound to draw freaks, same as molasses draws flies. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
   • Well, we had our breakfast of ship's bread and molasses, washed down with cannikins of something liquid - but not lovely. 1907 February 2, The Chronicle, Adelaide, page 50, column 2:
2. (US, uncountable, usually) Any similarly thick and sweet syrup produced by boiling down fruit juices, tree saps, etc., especially concentrated maple syrup.
   • Boiled some cornstalk juice into molasses. 1777 Sept. 13, Manessah Cutler, Journal, s.v.
3. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Anything considered figuratively sweet, especially sweet words.
   • He really poured on the molasses, charming his audience and changing more than a few votes.
   • ...the mournful molasses of his prose... 1972 Nov. 26, New York Times Book Review, p. 1
   • ‘You're the cutest thing here,’ whispered Clyde, hugging her fondly. ‘Gee, but you can pour on the molasses, kid, when you want to,’ she called out loud. 1925, Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy, volume I, page 127:
4. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Something which moves or works extremely slowly.
   • It's worthwhile starting with the lowest-tier plan from your provider. If your internet is molasses, then you might consider an upgrade. 2023 March 3, Shira Ovide, “Four mistakes you’re making that slow down your internet”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Mar 2023:
   • Of course, time was molasses in the cold months that bracketed that very long year; time was monotony. When all days are the same, memory caves in on itself. 2022, Julia Glass, Vigil Harbor, New York, N.Y.: Pantheon Books, →ISBN, page 161:
   • Though faster than typing, the daisy wheel is molasses compared to dot matrix printers. 1990, Norman Schreiber, Your Home Office, New York, N.Y.: Perennial Library, →ISBN, page 91:
5. (Scotland, form-of, obsolete, plural, uncountable, usually) plural of molass: whiskey made from molasses.
   form of molass
6. (Scotland, obsolete, rare, uncountable, usually) Synonym of molass: whiskey made from molasses.

Forms

Deriveds

molasses cistern · molasses cane · molassied · molasses face · molasses hogshead · molasses cake · sugar-house molasses · like molasses · molasses jug · molasses gate · molasses tank · molasses candy · molasses ale · molasses bird · molasses taffy · molasses tierce · slow as molasses in January · thick as molasses · maple molasses · molasseslike · slow as molasses · molasses cookie · slower than molasses in January · molasses settlings · molasses beer · molasses house · molasses brandy · molasses acid · molasses rum · sorghum molasses · molasses scone · molasses cask · molasses gingerbread · molasses spirit · molasses barrel · pomegranate molasses · molassy · molasses grass · like molasses in January · slower than molasses

Hyponyms

maple syrup (any sweet concentrated syrup)

Synonyms

long sweetening (concentrated sugarcane syrup) · theriac (concentrated sugarcane syrup) · cane syrup (concentrated sugarcane syrup) · sugar and honey (things considered figuratively sweet) · sorghum syrup (concentrated sugarcane syrup) · molass · treacle (concentrated sugarcane syrup)

Translations (63)

el μελάσσα (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · be мэля́са (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · vo melat (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · fr mélasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · th กากน้ำตาล (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · afb دبس (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · vi rỉ đường (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ru чёрная па́тока (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · fo sukursiroppur (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · srn malasi (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · da melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · cmn 糖蜜 (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ru па́тока (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · pl melasa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ta வெல்லம் (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · tl pulot-tubo (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · it melassa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · qu q'ita (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ur گلاب (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · cs melasa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · sv melass (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · nb melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · nn melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · de Melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · es melaza (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · sh melasa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · txb panit (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ast melaza (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · af melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · gu કાકવી (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · sh меласа (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ar دِبْس (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · eo melaso (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · tr melas (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · kmr celaqî (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · lt melasa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · nl melasse (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · mi marahihi (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ro melasă (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ca melassa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · mi mōrahihi (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · br triakl (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · rsk меласа (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · fa ملاس (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ja 糖蜜 (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · pt melaço (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ko 당밀 (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · id molase (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ru мела́сса (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · gv soo shugyr (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · te బెల్లము (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · gl melaza (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · bg меласа (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · fi melassi (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · he דבשה (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · fo sukurvavstur (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · ar عَسَل أَسْوَد (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · vi rỉ mật (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · be па́така (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · yi פּאַטיקע (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · tl melasa (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · hu melasz (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane) · de Sirup (thick brownish syrup refined from sugarcane)

molasses en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /məˈlasɪz/ Scots
• /məʊˈlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /məˈlæsɪz/ (General-American)
• [məˈlæsɪz] (General-American)
• /məˈlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• [məˈlæsɪz] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [mɵˈlæsɪz] (General-American)

Etymology

From Portuguese melaços or Spanish melazos, from Late Latin mellacium (“must, honey-sweet thing”), from mel (“honey”) + -āceus (“-aceous”) + -ium, q.v. Some alternative forms derived or influenced by Spanish melaza and French mélasse, conjectured to derive from unattested Late Latin mellacea, from mel + -ācea.

Meanings

1. (form-of, indicative, obsolete, present, singular, third-person) third-person singular simple present indicative of molass
   form of molass

Forms

molasses en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /məˈlæsɪz/ (General-American)
• /məˈlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /məʊlasɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /məˈlɑsɪz/ (General-American)

Etymology

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Meanings

1. (form-of, plural) plural of molasse
   form of molasse