treacle
English
WOTD – 14 October 2008
Etymology
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
treacle (countable and uncountable, plural treacles)
- (chiefly Britain) A syrupy byproduct of sugar refining; molasses or golden syrup.
- Cloying sentimental speech.
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- 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.
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- (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 terms
Translations
molasses or golden syrup
cloying sentimental speech
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antidote for poison
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Verb
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.
Anagrams
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