Etymology From Middle English sirup, from Old French sirop, from Medieval Latin siruppus, syrupus, from Arabic شَرَاب (šarāb, “a drink, beverage, wine, coffee, syrup”), from شَرِبَ (šariba, “to drink”). Doublet of sirop. Related to sorbet, sherbet, sharbat. Compare French sirop, Italian siroppo, sciroppo, Spanish jarabe, jarope, Portuguese xarope, and Dutch siroop and stroop. The first known use of the spelling sirup was in the 14th century.
1
Any thick liquid that has a high sugar content and which is added to or poured over food as a flavoring.
maple syrup
pancake syrup
3 more examples
peaches in syrup
In Somerset, for example, the local farmers would often boil down the beet juice to create a honey tender, a viscous syrup that sweetened the harvest porridge.1922, Arthur J. P. Williams, Rural Industries of the West Country, page 42:
With jellies soother than the creamy curd, / And lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon; [...]1819, John Keats, “The Eve of St. Agnes”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, stanza XXX, page 98:
2
Broadly Any viscous liquid.
cough syrup
rose syrup
3
Figuratively Anything overly sweet or sentimental.
Eventually, he or his staunch public tired of his easy-listening syrup, so Price recorded gospel for the Myrrh label before semi-retiring to his Golden Cross Ranch in Texas.1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 266:
Etymology From Middle English sirup, from Old French sirop, from Medieval Latin siruppus, syrupus, from Arabic شَرَاب (šarāb, “a drink, beverage, wine, coffee, syrup”), from شَرِبَ (šariba, “to drink”). Doublet of sirop. Related to sorbet, sherbet, sharbat. Compare French sirop, Italian siroppo, sciroppo, Spanish jarabe, jarope, Portuguese xarope, and Dutch siroop and stroop. The first known use of the spelling sirup was in the 14th century.
1
To convert or process into syrup.
2
To add syrup to.
3
To sabotage (a vehicle) by pouring syrup into the gas tank.