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Webster 1913 Edition


Treacle

Trea′cle

(trē′k’l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
triacle
a sovereign remedy, theriac, OF.
triacle
, F.
thériaque
(cf. Pr.
triacla
,
tiriaca
, Sp. & It.
triaca
,
teriaca
), L.
theriaca
an antidote against the bite of poisonous animals, Gr. [GREEK], fr. [GREEK] of wild or venomous beasts, fr.
θηρίον
a beast, a wild beast, dim. of
θήρ
a beast. Cf.
Theriac
.]
1.
(Old Med.)
A remedy against poison. See
Theriac
, 1.
We kill the viper, and make
treacle
of him.
Jer. Taylor.
2.
A sovereign remedy; a cure.
[Obs.]
Christ which is to every harm
treacle
.
Chaucer.
3.
Molasses; sometimes, specifically, the molasses which drains from the sugar-refining molds, and which is also called
sugarhouse molasses
.
☞ In the United States molasses is the common name; in England, treacle.
4.
A saccharine fluid, consisting of the inspissated juices or decoctions of certain vegetables, as the sap of the birch, sycamore, and the like.
Treacle mustard
(Bot.)
,
a name given to several species of the cruciferous genus
Erysimum
, especially the
Erysimum cheiranthoides
, which was formerly used as an ingredient in Venice treacle, or theriac.
Treacle water
,
a compound cordial prepared in different ways from a variety of ingredients, as hartshorn, roots of various plants, flowers, juices of plants, wines, etc., distilled or digested with Venice treacle. It was formerly regarded as a medicine of great virtue.
Nares.
Venice treacle
.
(Old Med.)
Same as
Theriac
, 1.

Webster 1828 Edition


Treacle

TRE'ACLE

,
Noun.
[L. theriaca; Gr. a wild beast.]
1.
The spume of sugar in sugar refineries. Treacle is obtained in refining sugar; molasses is the drainings of crude sugar. Treacle however is often used for molasses.
2.
A saccharine fluid, consisting of the inspissated juices or decoctions of certain vegetables, as the sap of the birch, sycamore, &c.
3.
A medicinal compound of various ingredients. [See Theriaca.]

Definition 2024


treacle

treacle

English

Noun

A cup of curd with treacle being poured upon it

treacle (countable and uncountable, plural treacles)

  1. (obsolete) An antidote for poison; theriac.
  2. (obsolete, figuratively) Any all-powerful curative; a general remedy, a cure-all.
    • c. 1385, William Langland, Piers Plowman, I:
      For trewthe telleþ þat loue · is triacle of heuene.
  3. (chiefly Britain) A syrupy byproduct of sugar refining; molasses or golden syrup.
  4. Cloying sentimental speech.
    • 2012 July 22, Frank Rich, “Mayberry R.I.P.”, in New York:
      The public tributes to Griffith were over-the-top in a way his acting never was, spreading treacle from the evening newscasts to the front page of the New York Times.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

treacle (third-person singular simple present treacles, present participle treacling, simple past and past participle treacled)

  1. To apply treacle to a surface, so as to catch flies or moths, etc.

Anagrams