| Word | treacle |
|---|---|
| Date | May 11, 2008 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | TREE-kul |
| Etymology | The long history of "treacle" begins in ancient Greece. The Greek word "thēriakos," meaning "of a wild animal," came from "thērion" ("wild animal"). Since wild animals are often known to bite, these words gave rise to "thēriakē," meaning "antidote against a poisonous bite." Latin borrowed "thēriakē" as "theriaca," and the word eventually entered Anglo-French -- and then Middle English -- as "triacle." The senses of "treacle" that refer to molasses developed from the earlier "antidote" sense. The "molasses" sense, in turn, was extended to give us a word for things excessively sweet or sentimental. |
| Examples | The film is engaging for about an hour, but then it nose-dives into sentimental treacle and never recovers. |
| Definition | 1 : a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2 a : molasses b : a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup 3 : something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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