Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A syrup, sauce, candy, or flavoring made by melting butter and brown sugar together.
  • noun A golden or tawny brown.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A hard candy made from butter, brown sugar, syrup and vanilla
  • noun A light brown colour, like that of butterscotch candy.
  • adjective Of a light brown colour, like that of butterscotch candy.
  • adjective Having the flavour of butterscotch.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of butterscot : butter + scot, of unknown origin.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word butterscotch.

Examples

  • What's good: Steak, beef & mushroom ragout, flambe prawn pasta, lamb shank, ginger pudding with brandied candy topping & ice-cream in butterscotch sauce, pear & almond pie, most of their sweets actually.

    Still on Holiday 2006

  • But it ain’t a butterscotch surprise cake without the butterscotch, is it?

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: April 19, 2010 2010

  • I saw the word butterscotch in the DB forum and just HAD to click * drool*.

    Daring Bakers Challenge - Opéra Cake 2008

  • #47/December 2, 2009/4: 18 min. Jay Goldman, also known as his butterscotch alter-ego, the daring Mr. Mobile, dares you to gaze upon these

    butterscotch.com: Newest Episodes 2010

  • The slightly burnt taste recalls butterscotch as much as caramel, and calling the texture rich is a pitiful understatement: it is, in fact, so luscious that you want to fill a swimming pool with the stuff and dive in.

    NYT > Home Page By SETH KUGEL 2010

  • The slightly burnt taste recalls butterscotch as much as caramel, and calling the texture rich is a pitiful understatement: it is, in fact, so luscious that you want to fill a swimming pool with the stuff and dive in.

    NYT > Home Page By SETH KUGEL 2010

  • #47/December 2, 2009/4: 18 min. Jay Goldman, also known as his butterscotch alter-ego, the daring Mr. Mobile, dares you to gaze upon these

    butterscotch.com: Newest Episodes 2010

  • Or else you could make a kind of butterscotch glaze: just heat some brown sugar, a little unsalted butter and a dash of cream together on the stove — it makes a thick sauce which you can then pour on the cake with praline almonds.

    Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Let them eat cake 2008

  • So today I wanted to try making "butterscotch" divinity.

    The Divinity Chronicles Becca 2008

  • So today I wanted to try making "butterscotch" divinity.

    Archive 2008-04-01 Becca 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • awful flavor. great word.

    February 3, 2007