Treacle
Treacle (trē"k'l) , noun
[Old English triacle a sovereign remedy, theriac, Old French triacle, French thériaque (compare Pr. triacla, tiriaca, Sp. & Italian triaca, teriaca), Latin theriaca an antidote against the bite of poisonous animals, Greek {not transcribed}, from {not transcribed} of wild or venomous beasts, from qhri`on a beast, a wild beast, dim. of qh`r a beast. Compare Theriac.]
1.
2.
A sovereign remedy; a cure. [Obsolete]
Christ which is to every harm treacle.
3.
Molasses; sometimes, specifically, the molasses which drains from the sugar-refining molds, and which is also called sugarhouse molasses.
In the United States molasses is the common name; in England, treacle.
4.
A saccharine fluid, consisting of the inspissated juices or decoctions of certain vegetables, as the sap of the birch, sycamore, and the like.
Collocations (3)
Treacle mustard (Botany) , a name given to several species of the cruciferous genus Erysimum, especially the Erysimum cheiranthoides, which was formerly used as an ingredient in Venice treacle, or theriac.
Treacle water , a compound cordial prepared in different ways from a variety of ingredients, as hartshorn, roots of various plants, flowers, juices of plants, wines, etc., distilled or digested with Venice treacle. It was formerly regarded as a medicine of great virtue. — Nares