syrup

syrup — noun

1. A thick, very sweet liquid made by dissolving sugar in water, used to add flavou

1.nounB1
Definition

A thick, very sweet liquid made by dissolving sugar in water, used to add flavour to food or poured over dishes such as pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.

Example

Roya poured warm maple syrup over her pancakes for breakfast.

collocation: maple syrup / pour syrup over

Leo stirred a spoonful of chocolate syrup into his glass of milk.

Common collocations
  • maple syrup
  • corn syrup
  • chocolate syrup
  • pour syrup
  • drizzle syrup
  • sweet syrup
  • golden syrup
Synonyms
  • treacle

    British term for a thick dark syrup from sugar refining; less common in American English

  • honey

    Natural sweet syrup made by bees; thicker and with a distinct floral flavour

  • molasses

    Very thick, dark syrup left after sugar is refined; has a stronger, less sweet taste

Usage Note

Often combined with a modifier naming the source (maple syrup, corn syrup) or flavour (chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup). As a mass noun, it is not used in the plural.

Common Mistakes

I put syrup on my salad.
I put dressing on my salad.
Syrup is sweet and used for desserts, drinks, or breakfast dishes, not savoury foods.

2. A thick, sweet liquid that contains medicine, given especially to children to tr

2.nounB1
Definition

A thick, sweet liquid that contains medicine, given especially to children to treat coughs, colds, or other minor illnesses.

Example

Constanza took a spoonful of cough syrup before going to bed.

compound noun: cough syrup

Rohan refused to take the cherry-flavoured syrup for his cold.

Common collocations
  • cough syrup
  • cherry-flavoured syrup
  • take syrup
  • medicine syrup
  • spoonful of syrup
Synonyms
  • medicine

    General term for any substance used to treat illness; not necessarily sweet or liquid

  • elixir

    Old-fashioned term for a medicinal liquid; more poetic and less commonly used today

Usage Note

Most commonly found in the compound 'cough syrup.' The dosage is usually measured with a special cup or spoon that comes with the bottle.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy syrup for my salad.
I need to buy cough syrup for my sore throat.
Medicine syrup is specified by what it treats; just 'syrup' alone usually refers to the food ingredient.

Word family

  • syrupy
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four are thick sweet liquids, but they differ in source and use. Syrup is the broadest term — it can be made from maple sap, corn, sugar, or flavoured with chocolate or fruit, and is mostly used in cooking or on breakfast foods. Treacle is a British term for the dark syrup left after sugar refining, often used in baking (e.g., treacle tart). Honey is produced naturally by bees from flower nectar and has a distinctive floral taste; it is used both as a spread and in cooking. Molasses is a very thick, dark, almost bitter syrup that remains after cane sugar is processed, common in gingerbread and barbecue sauces. When choosing, think about what you are making: use syrup for pancakes, honey for tea, molasses for rich baked goods, and treacle for traditional British desserts.

syrup ↗treaclehoney ↗molasses

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • spoonful of syrup
  • bottle of syrup
  • drizzled with syrup

Prepositions

Etymology

ArabicLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'syrup' comes from Arabic 'sharāb' (شراب), which meant 'a drink' or 'beverage.' It entered Medieval Latin as 'siropus,' then passed into Old French as 'sirop.' English borrowed it from French around the 14th century, where it originally referred to a sweet medicinal drink before expanding to include sugar-based cooking sauces.