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Added 9 October 2026

molasses

/məˈlæsɪz/ noun

Latin root: mellacium Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about molasses at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Thick dark syrup produced by boiling down juice from sugar cane; especially during sugar refining.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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