What does nectar mean?
Nectar is the sweet, sugar-rich liquid produced by flowers. Bees, butterflies, moths, birds, and other pollinators gather it as food, transferring pollen between flowers in the process. The word is also strongly associated with Greek and Roman mythology, where nectar was the drink of the gods and therefore symbolized immortality, extraordinary pleasure, or luxury. In ordinary modern usage, “nectar” most often refers to the floral substance: a person might describe a flower as producing plentiful nectar or mention the nectar that bees carry back to their hive. The phrase “the nectar of the gods” remains a familiar poetic expression for something exceptionally delightful. Because “nectar” can also mean a drink made from fruit, as in a mango nectar, its modern associations extend beyond botany, but its original meaning and strongest figurative association are connected with flowers and divine refreshment.
nounA sweet liquid secreted by flowers and collected by insects and other pollinators as a source of nectar. In classical mythology, nectar is also the drink of the gods.
- A sweet, sugar-rich liquid secreted by flowers and collected by pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
- In Greek and Roman mythology, the drink enjoyed by the gods, associated with immortality and divine luxury.
"Bees gather nectar from the lavender and carry it back to the hive."
"The hummingbird returned to the trumpet vine for more nectar."
"In classical mythology, Zeus was served nectar at feasts among the immortals."
Usually uncountable when referring to the floral substance; the plural is uncommon but can refer to distinct drinks or varieties of fruit nectar.
"The shop sells a range of tropical fruit nectars."
The word that names a flower’s sweet reward also names the legendary drink of the gods.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nectar come from?
English nectar comes through Latin nectar from Greek nék tar, the drink of the gods. Greek writers used the word both for the divine drink and for a sweet substance associated with flowers. Modern botanical senses developed from this long-established vocabulary, and related botanical terms such as nectary and nectariferous preserve the same Greek source.
How nectar is actually used
In modern botanical usage, nectar is generally uncountable and refers to the substance rather than an individual serving. The mythological sense is literary, cultural, and figurative, as in expressions referring to exceptionally delightful or luxurious experiences.
Easily confused with nectar
Nectar is the sweet liquid produced by a flower, whereas a nectary is the specialized structure in which it is produced.