nectar

noun

nec·​tar ˈnek-tər How to pronounce nectar (audio)
1
a
: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods
b
: something delicious to drink
c
: a beverage of fruit juice and pulp
apricot nectar
2
: a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey
nectarous adjective

Did you know?

Nectar is often mentioned in conjunction with ambrosia, the food of the Greek and Roman gods. For centuries, English speakers have used ambrosia to refer to something with an extremely pleasing taste or smell, and nectar to refer to a delicious drink, especially a fruit juice. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, however, the powers of nectar and ambrosia far exceeded those of any earthly fare; consuming nectar and ambrosia gave the gods their immortality. In Greek, the literal meanings of ambrosia and nectar are "immortality" and "overcoming death," respectively. Nektar is believed to be a compound of Greek nek- (probably akin to Latin nec-, meaning "death") and -tar (probably akin to Sanksrit tarati, meaning "he overcomes or crosses over").

Examples of nectar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s also recommended to keep your feeder in a semi-protected place to avoid rain, which can dilute the nectar. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024 Many studies have suggested that bees, which emerged some 125 million years ago, may have triggered plants to evolve nectar and colorful flowers to attract these busy, efficient daytime pollinators. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Capacity Feeders come in various sizes and can hold different amounts of nectar. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2024 Avocado Margarita At Sweet Liberty Drinks & Company in Miami Beach, this cocktail is made with tequila, mezcal, Cointreau, aloe liqueur, spicy chile liqueur, avocado puree, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Flowers were arriving from across the region: White forsythias, which smelled like nectar. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Educational signs at sites along the trail encourage visitors to help save the butterflies by planting native milkweed and nectar plants and reducing the use of insecticides and herbicides. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2024 Acacia ants live in whistling thorn trees, which provide them nectar. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2024 The trees provide nectar and shelter for native ants, and to return the favor, these ants protect them from animals looking to take a bite to eat; whenever herbivores try to eat from the tree, the ants start biting and emitting formic acid to stave them off. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nectar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek nektar

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of nectar was in 1555

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Dictionary Entries Near nectar

Cite this Entry

“Nectar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nectar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nectar

noun
nec·​tar ˈnek-tər How to pronounce nectar (audio)
1
: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods
2
: a sweet liquid given off by plants and especially by the flowers and used by bees in making honey

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