noun
treacle
TREE-kuhl
noun
1
(chiefly British) A thick, dark syrup made in sugar refining; molasses.
"The pudding was drenched in treacle."
2
Speech or sentiment that is cloyingly sweet or sentimental.
"The movie's ending descended into pure treacle."
How to Use Treacle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTreacle is a sticky, dark syrup — or, figuratively, anything overly sweet and sentimental.
UK vs US
Treacle is a British term; Americans generally say "molasses."
Common pairings
treacle tart
treacle pudding
sickly treacle
Word Forms
treacled past tense, treacles plural, treacles singular
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Etymology
From Middle English triacle, ultimately from Greek thēriakē, "antidote" — treacle was once sold as a cure-all before the word narrowed to mean the syrup.