/ ˈʃʊgə(r); NAmE / noun , verb , exclamation
■ noun
1.
[ U ] a sweet substance, often in the form of white or brown crystals , made from the juices of various plants, used in cooking or to make tea, coffee, etc. sweeter :
a sugar plantation / refinery / bowl
This juice contains no added sugar .
Do you take sugar (= have it in your tea, coffee, etc.) ?
—see also brown sugar , cane sugar , caster sugar , granulated sugar , icing sugar
2.
[ C ] the amount of sugar that a small spoon can hold or that is contained in a small cube , added to tea, coffee, etc. :
How many sugars do you take in coffee?
3.
[ C , usually pl. ] ( technical ) any of various sweet substances that are found naturally in plants, fruit, etc. :
fruit sugars
a person's blood sugar level (= the amount of glucose in their blood)
4.
[ U ] ( informal , especially NAmE ) a way of addressing sb that you like or love :
See you later, sugar.
■ verb
[ vn ] to add sugar to sth; to cover sth in sugar
•
IDIOMS
see pill
■ exclamation
used to show that you are annoyed when you do sth stupid or when sth goes wrong (to avoid saying 'shit') :
Oh sugar! I've forgotten my book!
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French sukere , from Italian zucchero , probably via medieval Latin from Arabic sukkar .