molasses

molasses · noun, verb¹

1. Late Latin · derived frommellacea
2. French · derived frommélasse
3. Spanish · derived frommelaza
4. Late Latin · derived frommellacium“must, honey-sweet thing”
5. Spanish · derived frommelazos
6. Portuguese · derived frommelaços
7. English todaymolasses

From Portuguese melaços or Spanish melazos, from Late Latin mellacium (“must, honey-sweet thing”), from mel (“honey”) + -āceus (“-aceous”) + -ium, q.v. Some alternative forms derived or influenced by Spanish melaza and French mélasse, conjectured to derive from unattested Late Latin mellacea, from mel + -ācea.

molasses · noun²

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Words from the same roots