sugar

sugar
{{11}}sugar (n.) late 13c., sugre, from O.Fr. sucre "sugar" (12c.), from M.L. succarum, from Arabic sukkar, from Pers. shakar, from Skt. sharkara "ground or candied sugar," originally "grit, gravel" (cognate with Gk. kroke "pebble"). The Arabic word also was borrowed in Italian (zucchero), Spanish (azucar), and German (O.H.G. zucura, Ger. Zucker), and its forms are represented in most European languages (Cf. Serb. cukar, Pol. cukier, Rus. sakhar).
Its Old World home was India (Alexander the Great's companions marveled at the "honey without bees") and it remained exotic in Europe until the Arabs began to cultivate it in Sicily and Spain; not until after the Crusades did it begin to rival honey as the West's sweetener. The Spaniards in the West Indies began raising sugar cane in 1506; first grown in Cuba 1523; first cultivated in Brazil 1532. The -g- in the English form cannot be accounted for. The pronunciation shift from s- to sh- is probably from the initial long vowel sound syu- (as in sure). Slang "euphemistic substitute for an imprecation" [OED] is attested from 1891. As a term of endearment, first recorded 1930. Sugar maple is from 1753. Sugar loaf was originally a moulded conical mass of refined sugar (early 15c.); they're now obsolete, but sense extended 17c. to hills, hats, etc. of that shape.
{{12}}sugar (v.) early 15c., "to sweeten with sugar," also figuratively, "to make more pleasing, mitigate the harshness of," from SUGAR (Cf. sugar) (n.). Related: Sugared; sugaring.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Sugar — Sug ar, n. [OE. sugre, F. sucre (cf. It. zucchero, Sp. az[ u]car), fr. Ar. sukkar, assukkar, fr. Skr. [,c]arkar[=a] sugar, gravel; cf. Per. shakar. Cf. {Saccharine}, {Sucrose}.] 1. A sweet white (or brownish yellow) crystalline substance, of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sugar fm — was an unlicensed radio station broadcasting chart, dance and R B music to Dublin. It launched in October 2003 and ceased broadcasting in July 2004.Background to Sugar FMSugar FM was effectively a re incarnation of an earlier Dublin pirate… …   Wikipedia

  • şugar — ŞUGÁR, Ă, şugari, e, adj. (reg.) Zvelt, suplu, subţire. – Din magh. sugár. Trimis de LauraGellner, 03.05.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  ŞUGÁR adj. v. subţiratic, subţire, suplu, zvelt. Trimis de siveco, 13.09.2007. Sursa: Sinonime  ŞUGÁR s …   Dicționar Român

  • Sugar — puede hacer referencia a: Para la interfaz gráfica en desarrollo para el proyecto OLPC vea Sugar GUI. Sugar (banda), banda de indie rock norteamericana encabezada por Bob Mould. La canción Sugar del grupo de rock System of a Down. En Mitología a …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sugar — Sug ar, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Sugared}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Sugaring}.] 1. To impregnate, season, cover, or sprinkle with sugar; to mix sugar with. When I sugar my liquor. G. Eliot. [1913 Webster] 2. To cover with soft words; to disguise by flattery; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sugar — o Maju es el consorte de la Gran Diosa vasca Mari. Tiene sin embargo un papel mucho más oscuro. Etimología. Sugar: suge + ar: serpiente macho, dragón. También se sugiere: su + gar: llama del fuego. La etimología de Maju es desconocida. Una… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • sugar — [shoog′ər] n. [ME sucre < OFr < OSp azúcar or OIt zucchero, both < Ar sukkar < Pers šakar < Sans śárkarâ, akin to śarkaraḥ, pebble] 1. any of a class of sweet, soluble, crystalline carbohydrates, as the disaccharides and the… …   English World dictionary

  • sugar — SUGÁR, Ă, sugari, e, adj. (Adesea substantivat) Sugaci. – Suge + suf. ar. Trimis de IoanSoleriu, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  SUGÁR s. prunc, sugaci, nou născut, (înv. şi pop.) plod, (înv. şi reg.) cocon, poroboc, sugător, (Mold. şi Transilv.)… …   Dicționar Român

  • sugar — ► NOUN 1) a sweet crystalline substance obtained especially from sugar cane and sugar beet. 2) Biochemistry any of the class of soluble crystalline sweet tasting carbohydrates, including sucrose and glucose. 3) informal, chiefly N. Amer. used as… …   English terms dictionary

  • Sugar — Sug ar, v. i. In making maple sugar, to complete the process of boiling down the sirup till it is thick enough to crystallize; to approach or reach the state of granulation; with the preposition off. [Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sugar — (engl., spr. Schugg r), der Zucker …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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