nectar

noun

nec·​tar ˈnek-tər How to pronounce nectar (audio)
1
a
: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods
b
: something delicious to drink
c
: a beverage of fruit juice and pulp
apricot nectar
2
: a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey
nectarous adjective

Did you know?

Nectar is often mentioned in conjunction with ambrosia, the food of the Greek and Roman gods. For centuries, English speakers have used ambrosia to refer to something with an extremely pleasing taste or smell, and nectar to refer to a delicious drink, especially a fruit juice. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, however, the powers of nectar and ambrosia far exceeded those of any earthly fare; consuming nectar and ambrosia gave the gods their immortality. In Greek, the literal meanings of ambrosia and nectar are "immortality" and "overcoming death," respectively. Nektar is believed to be a compound of Greek nek- (probably akin to Latin nec-, meaning "death") and -tar (probably akin to Sanksrit tarati, meaning "he overcomes or crosses over").

Examples of nectar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The red and yellow blooms provide an important source of early season nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees, while our four-legged friends tend to leave this plant alone. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025 The presence of extrafloral nectar doesn’t mean that the citrus plant will draw ants into the house, but the secretions may be a sticky minor nuisance. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025 From gathering nectar to producing honey, each bee in the colony plays a role in supporting the hive. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 The festival has its roots in a Hindu tradition that says the god Vishnu wrested a golden pitcher containing the nectar of immortality from demons. Fox News, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for nectar 

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek nektar

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of nectar was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Nectar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nectar. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

nectar

noun
nec·​tar ˈnek-tər How to pronounce nectar (audio)
1
: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods
2
: a sweet liquid given off by plants and especially by the flowers and used by bees in making honey

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