nectar

noun

nec·tar ˈnek-tər

Synonyms of nectar

: the drink of the Greek and Roman gods

: something delicious to drink

: a beverage of fruit juice and pulp

apricot nectar

: a sweet liquid that is secreted by the nectaries of a plant and is the chief raw material of honey

nectarous

ˈnek-t(ə-)rəs

adjective

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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

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These happy honeybees have found a source of copious amounts of nectar from this furry explosion of fuzz and fringe. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 Scientists also took samples from agave blooms, which are one of the Mexican long-nosed bats’ favorite sources of nectar. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2025 According to Hindu scriptures, gods and demons once churned the cosmic ocean in search of the nectar of immortality. —Kyra Colah, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025 Plants flower in shades of pink, blue, purple, and white, inviting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to sip their nectar. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nectar