a liquid made by cooking sugar until it changes color, used for coloring and flavoring food.
2.
a kind of chewy candy, commonly in small blocks, made from sugar, butter, milk, etc.
3.
a yellowish brown or tan color.
[Origin: 1715–25; < F < Sp or Pg caramelo < LL calamellus little reed (by dissimilation), equiv. to calam(us) reed (see calamus) + -ellus dim. suffix; meaning changed by assoc. with ML cannamella, canna mellis, etc., sugar cane, equiv. to L cannacane+ mel honey (gen. mellis)]
A smooth chewy candy made with sugar, butter, cream or milk, and flavoring.
Burnt sugar, used for coloring and sweetening foods.
A moderate yellow brown.
[French, from Old French, from Old Spanish caramel, caramelo, from Portuguese caramel, from Late Latin calamellus, diminutive of Latin calamus, reed, cane, from Greek kalamos.]
1725, from Fr. caramel "burnt sugar," ult. from M.L. cannamellis, traditionally from L. canna (see cane) + mellis "honey;" though some give the M.L. word an Arabic origin.
Main Entry: car·a·mel Pronunciation: 'kar-&-m&l, -"mel; 'kär-m&l Function: noun : an amorphous brittle brown and somewhat
bitter substance obtained by heating sugar and used in pharmacy as a coloring and flavoring agent
Car"a*mel\, n. [F. caramel (cf. Sp. caramelo), LL. canna mellis, cannamella, canamella, calamellus mellitus, sugar cane, from or confused with L. canna reed + mel, mellis, honey. See Cane.]1. (Chem.) Burnt sugar; a brown or black porous substance obtained by heating sugar. It is soluble in water, and is used for coloring spirits, gravies, etc. 2. A kind of confectionery, usually a small cube or square of tenacious paste, or candy, of varying composition and flavor.
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