Caramel Meaning
/ˈkæ.ɹəˌmɛl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA smooth, chewy, sticky confection made by heating sugar and other ingredients until the sugars polymerize and become sticky.
nounA (sometimes hardened) piece of this confection.
Sentence Examples
I don't like ice cream with caramel on it.
I ate a banana wrapped in edible rice paper and caramel.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She drizzled warm ____ over the vanilla ice cream for dessert.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She poured some sweet ____ sauce over the vanilla ice cream tonight.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from French caramel, from Spanish caramelo, from Portuguese caramelo, dissimilated from Late Latin calamellus, diminutive of calamus (“reed”) (and a doublet of chalumeau and shawm). Alternatively from Medieval Latin cannamellis, which is a compound of canna + mellis.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The usual technique for making caramel is to mix table sugar with some water, then heat until the water has boiled off and the molten sugar colors."
— 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 12, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:
"Caramel has a rich, complex flavor and consistency, viscous and sticky and creamy all at once, that works well with most sweets and fruits, with coffee and chocolate, and even with salt: the prized caramels of Brittany are made with a notable dose of sea salt."
— 2004, Harold McGee, chapter 12, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:
"Every time I saw this caramel cutie, she was working on a new proposal or business plan or flyer to promote herself and her event coordinating business."
— 2001, Nicole Sconiers, California Schemin': The Black Woman's Guide to Surviving in LA:
"To turn out, place the dish over the mould, and invert both together, when, if the caramelling has been complete, the pudding should slip out without any difficulty at all."
— 1900, M. M. Mallock, The Economics of Modern Cookery: Or, A Younger Son's Cookery Book:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She drizzled warm ____ over the vanilla ice cream for dessert.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She poured some sweet ____ sauce over the vanilla ice cream tonight.