molasses
n.n. a thick, dark liquid that is a byproduct of making sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets. It is often used in cooking to add a sweet and strong flavor to food.
n. a thick, dark syrup produced during the refining of sugar from sugar cane or sugar beets. Often used as a sweetener or flavoring agent in various culinary traditions.
The recipe calls for a cup of molasses to add sweetness.
The factory produced large quantities of molasses as a byproduct of the sugar refining process.
The traditional recipe requires a specific grade of molasses to achieve the deep, caramel-like flavor that distinguishes the dish from modern alternatives.
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.