caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkär-məl  ˈker-ə-məl 

ˈka-rə-,

-ˌmel

1

: a usually firm to brittle, golden-brown to dark brown substance that has a sweet, nutty, buttery, or bitter flavor, is obtained by heating sugar at high temperature, and used especially as a coloring and flavoring agent

Caramel is an ingredient in many candies.

2

: a firm, chewy, usually caramel-flavored candy made with sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter

a bag of caramels

Examples of caramel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Caramel Chocolate Chip: Gluten free, chewy cookies with rich caramel, semisweet chocolate chips and a hint of sea salt. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Jan. 2025

Its rich caramel and dark chocolate flavors blend with fruit notes to create a sweetness balanced by a hint of spice. —Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

During the casual night out, Fahy showed off her fall style in a caramel leather moto jacket and a cream sweater, while Woodall kept it casual in a black puffer jacket and matching sweats. —Charna Flam, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025

Using a metal spatula, loosen the caramel from the baking sheet and turn it out onto a cutting board. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Spanish caramelo, from Portuguese, icicle, caramel, from Late Latin calamellus small reed — more at shawm

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing caramel

• crème caramel

Kids Definition

caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkär-məl  ˈkar-ə-məl 

-ˌmel

1

: burnt sugar used for coloring and flavoring

2

: a firm chewy candy

Medical Definition

caramel

noun

car·​a·​mel ˈkar-ə-məl  -ˌmel; ˈkär-məl 

: an amorphous brittle brown and somewhat bitter substance obtained by heating sugar and used as a coloring and flavoring agent