molasses
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a thick, dark syrup made from sugar plants, used in cooking and baking.
the thick, dark, viscous syrup that remains after sugar has been crystallised from cane or beet juice.
Simple“The recipe calls for a spoonful of molasses to give the cookies a rich flavour.”
In context“Traditional gingerbread recipes rely on the distinctively bitter-sweet profile of unsulphured molasses to achieve the desired depth of flavour and moisture.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
something that moves or happens very slowly.
used figuratively to describe a person, process, or substance that moves with extreme slowness.
Simple“The traffic was moving like molasses in January during the snowstorm.”
In context“Bureaucratic progress on the new infrastructure project has been moving like molasses, frustrating local residents who expected a faster resolution.”
Synonymsslownessslug - 03 C2 Proficiency
a type of rock made of sand and clay that forms near rising mountains.
a sequence of sedimentary rocks consisting of sandstones, shales, and conglomerates formed in a foreland basin.
Simple“The geologists studied the layers of molasses to understand how the mountains formed.”
In context“The thick deposits of Alpine molasses provide critical evidence for the timing of tectonic uplift and subsequent erosion cycles in the region.”
UsageUsually spelled 'molasse' in geological contexts, though 'molasses' appears in older texts.
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.
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.