treacle en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɹiː.ku/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈtɹiː.kəl/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈtɹiː.kɯ/ (New-Zealand)
- trēʹ-kəl (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English triacle, partly from Old French triacle, and partly from Old English tyriaca, 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”). Doublet of theriacle, equivalent to theriac + -le.
Meanings
-
(Ireland, UK, countable, uncountable) A syrupy byproduct of sugar refining; molasses or golden syrup.
Didn’t you see how the cub was ashamed of the thick bread-and-butter? I dare say they’re going to have treacle if they are good.
1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 26, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
-
(countable, uncountable) Cloying sentimental speech.
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.
2012 July 22, Frank Rich, “Mayberry R.I.P.”, in New York:
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(Cockney, countable, slang, uncountable) Sweetheart (from treacle tart).
Listen, treacle, this is the last time I'll warn you!
-
(countable, historical, uncountable) Synonym of theriac: an antidote for poison, especially snakebite; a supposedly universal antidote.
CHEWING-BALLS, a kind of balls made of aſafœtida, liver of antimony, bay-wood, juniper-wood, and pellitory of Spain; which being dried in the ſun, and wrapped in a linen-cloth, are tied to the bit of the bridle for the horſe to chew: they create an appetite; and it is ſaid, that balls of Venice treacle may be uſed in the ſame manner with good ſucceſs.
1771, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed., volume II, page 183:
- (broadly, countable, figuratively, historical, obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of theriac: an antidote for poison, especially snakebite; a supposedly universal antidote. ▸ Synonym of cure: an all-powerful curative for some particular affliction.
- (broadly, countable, figuratively, historical, obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of theriac: an antidote for poison, especially snakebite; a supposedly universal antidote. ▸ Synonym of cure-all: a panacea for all human ailments.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| treacles | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
treacle paper · mithridate treacle · treacle water · treacle sleep · Venice treacle · treaclelike · treacler · treacle bread · treacle pudding · treacly · treaclewort · treacle mustard · treacle tart
Synonyms
Translations (32)
yue 糖蜜 (molasses or golden syrup) · nrf m'lasse (molasses or golden syrup) · cmn 糖蜜 (molasses or golden syrup) · he דבשה (molasses or golden syrup) · it melassa (molasses or golden syrup) · eo melaso (molasses or golden syrup) · ru па́тока (molasses or golden syrup) · pl melasa (molasses or golden syrup) · yue 黑糖膠 /黑糖胶 (molasses or golden syrup) · bg петмез (molasses or golden syrup) · ja 糖蜜 (molasses or golden syrup) · nl melasse (molasses or golden syrup) · es melaza (molasses or golden syrup) · fi siirappi (molasses or golden syrup) · fi mielistely (cloying sentimental speech) · de Melasse (molasses or golden syrup) · ru слаща́вость (cloying sentimental speech) · da melasse (molasses or golden syrup) · af melasse (molasses or golden syrup) · pt melaço (molasses or golden syrup) · fi melassi (molasses or golden syrup) · uk па́тока (molasses or golden syrup) · bg меласа (molasses or golden syrup) · da mørk sirup (molasses or golden syrup) · ru мела́сса (molasses or golden syrup) · cy triagl (molasses or golden syrup) · fr mélasse (molasses or golden syrup) · sv melass (molasses or golden syrup) · mi tirīkara (molasses or golden syrup) · hu melasz (molasses or golden syrup) · fi makeilu (cloying sentimental speech) · yue 糖膠 /糖胶 (molasses or golden syrup)