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caramel - 6 dictionary results

car⋅a⋅mel

[kar-uh-muhl, -mel, kahr-muhl]
–noun
1. 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 canna cane + mel honey (gen. mellis)
car·a·mel   (kār'ə-məl, -měl', kär'məl)   
n.  
  1. A smooth chewy candy made with sugar, butter, cream or milk, and flavoring.
  2. Burnt sugar, used for coloring and sweetening foods.
  3. 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.]

Caramel

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.
Language Translation for : caramel
Spanish: caramelo,
German: der Karamel,
Japanese: カラメル

caramel 
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 somewhatbitter substance obtained by heating sugar and used in pharmacy as a coloring and flavoring agent

caramel

candy substance obtained by boiling sugar to or beyond approximately 240 F (115 C), at which point its mass takes on a slightly yellowish colour and pleasantly burnt smell.

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