caramel

/ˈkɑrməl/

/ˈkærəmɛl/

Other forms: caramels

Caramel is a sticky or runny sweet that's made from slightly burnt sugar. You might prefer your vanilla ice cream topped with caramel.

Caramel can be used in many ways — to flavor foods, pour on top of desserts, or form into a soft, chewy candy. You can also use the word to describe the milky brown color itself: "She's the one with the long, caramel colored hair." In French, caramel means "burnt sugar," which comes from the Latin cannamellis, a combination of canna, "cane," and mel, "honey."

Definitions of caramel

1. noun

   burnt sugar; used to color and flavor food
   synonyms: caramelized sugar

   type of:

   refined sugar, sugar

   a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
2. noun

   firm chewy candy made from caramelized sugar and butter and milk
   type of:

   candy, confect

   a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
3. noun

   a medium to dark tan color
   synonyms: buff, caramel brown, raw sienna, yellowish brown

   types:

   snuff-color, snuff-colour

   dark yellowish brown

   type of:

   brown, brownness

   an orange of low brightness and saturation
4. adjective

   having the color of caramel; of a moderate yellow-brown
   synonyms: caramel brown

   chromatic

   being, having, or characterized by hue