molasses

singular molass · alternative mollasses · alternative malasses · alternative merlaasses · alternative molassey · alternative molassy · alternative melasus · alternative molassos · alternative malassoes · alternative malassos · alternative molossus · alternative melasses · alternative mallassus · alternative malosses · alternative mellasses · alternative milasses

1. uncountableusuallyA thick, sweet syrup drained from sugarcane, especially (Canada, US) the still thicker and sweeter syrup produced by boiling down raw molasses.

   Well, we had our breakfast of ship's bread and molasses, washed down with cannikins of something liquid - but not lovely.

   1907 February 2, The Chronicle, Adelaide, page 50, column 2

   1 more example

   When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose. And the queerer the cure for those ailings the bigger the attraction. A place like the Right Livers' Rest was bound to draw freaks, same as molasses draws flies.

   1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC

2. USuncountableusuallyAny similarly thick and sweet syrup produced by boiling down fruit juices, tree saps, etc., especially concentrated maple syrup.

   Boiled some cornstalk juice into molasses.

   1777 Sept. 13, Manessah Cutler, Journal, s.v.

3. figurativelyuncountableusuallyAnything considered figuratively sweet, especially sweet words.

   He really poured on the molasses, charming his audience and changing more than a few votes.

   2 more examples

   ‘You're the cutest thing here,’ whispered Clyde, hugging her fondly. ‘Gee, but you can pour on the molasses, kid, when you want to,’ she called out loud.

   1925, Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy, volume I, page 127

   ...the mournful molasses of his prose...

   1972 Nov. 26, New York Times Book Review, p. 1

   Synonyms: sugar and honey

4. figurativelyuncountableusuallySomething which moves or works extremely slowly.

   Though faster than typing, the daisy wheel is molasses compared to dot matrix printers.

   1990, Norman Schreiber, Your Home Office, New York, N.Y.: Perennial Library, →ISBN, page 91

   2 more examples

   Of course, time was molasses in the cold months that bracketed that very long year; time was monotony. When all days are the same, memory caves in on itself.

   2022, Julia Glass, Vigil Harbor, New York, N.Y.: Pantheon Books, →ISBN, page 161

   It's worthwhile starting with the lowest-tier plan from your provider. If your internet is molasses, then you might consider an upgrade.

   2023 March 3, Shira Ovide, “Four mistakes you’re making that slow down your internet”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Mar 2023

5. Scotlandobsoletepluraluncountableusuallyplural of molass: whiskey made from molasses.
6. ScotlandobsoleterareuncountableusuallySynonym of molass: whiskey made from molasses.

   Synonyms: molass

alternative mollasses · alternative malasses · alternative merlaasses · alternative molassey · alternative molassy · alternative melasus · alternative molassos · alternative malassoes · alternative malassos · alternative molossus · alternative melasses · alternative mallassus · alternative malosses · alternative mellasses · alternative milasses · alternative molassers

1. indicativeobsoletepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of molass

1. pluralgeographyplural of molasse