/ ˈtriːkl; NAmE / noun [ U ] ( BrE )
1.
( NAmE mo·las·ses ) a thick black sweet sticky liquid produced when sugar is refined (= made pure), used in cooking
2.
= golden syrup :
a treacle tart
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (originally denoting an antidote against venom): from Old French triacle , via Latin from Greek thēriakē antidote against venom, feminine of thēriakos (adjective), from thērion wild beast. Current senses date from the late 17th cent.