What is "nectar"

Nectar \Nec"tar\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?.]

1. (Myth. & Poetic) The drink of the gods (as ambrosia was their food); hence, any delicious or inspiring beverage.

2. (Bot.) A sweetish secretion of blossoms from which bees make honey.

1550s, from Latin nectar, from Greek nektar, name of the drink of the gods, which is said to be a compound of nek- "death" (see necro-) + -tar "overcoming," from PIE *tere- (2) "to cross over, pass through, overcome" (see through). Meaning "sweet liquid in flowers" first recorded c.1600.

n. 1 (context chiefly mythology English) The drink of the gods. (from 16th c.) 2 (context by extension English) Any delicious drink, now especially a type of sweetened fruit juice. (from 16th c.) 3 (context botany English) The sweet liquid secreted by flowers to attract pollinating insects and birds. (from 17th c.)

1. n. a sweet liquid secretion that is attractive to pollinators

2. fruit juice especially when undiluted

3. (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal [syn: ambrosia]

Nectar, in its most common modern use, refers to the sugar-rich liquid produced by the flowers of plants in order to attract pollinating animals.

Nectar was originally a name of the food or drink of the gods in Greek mythology; see ambrosia.

It may also refer to:

• Nectar (drink), a fruit juice beverage
• Nectar, Alabama, a town in central Alabama
• Nectar Covered Bridge, a former covered bridge in Alabama
• Nectar loyalty card, a loyalty card issued by a partnership of United Kingdom retailers
• Nectar, a fictional performance-enhancing drug in Free Radical Design's PS3 game, HAZE

Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists, which in turn provide antiherbivore protection. Common nectar-consuming pollinators include bees, butterflies and moths, hummingbirds, and bats. Nectar plays an important role in the foraging economics and overall evolution of nectar-eating species; for example, nectar and its properties are responsible for the differential evolution of the African honey bee, A. m. scutellata and the western honey bee.

Nectar is an ecologically important item, the sugar source for honey. It is also useful in agriculture and horticulture because the adult stages of some predatory insects feed on nectar. For example, the social wasp species Apoica flavissima relies on nectar as a primary food source. In turn, these wasps then hunt agricultural pest insects as food for their young. For example, thread-waisted wasps ( genus Ammophila) are known for hunting caterpillars that are destructive to crops.

Nectar secretion increases as the flower is visited by pollinators. After pollination, the nectar is frequently reabsorbed into the plant.

Néctar, released on June 15, 1999, is the eleventh album of rock en español group Enanitos Verdes. It was produced by Coti Sorokin, and was recorded and mixed entirely in Buenos Aires between the months of January and March 1999. It was nominated for the Grammy in the "Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album" category.

The album, which includes ten songs, is a blend of different musical styles such as rock and ballads, as well as regional rhythms.

Nectars are a type of non-carbonated soft drink made by muddling the flesh of fruits.

In some countries, the beverage industry distinguishes nectars from drinks labeled as "juice". In the United States and the United Kingdom, the term "fruit juice" is restricted to beverages that are 100% pure juice, whereas a "nectar" may be diluted (to a degree limited by regulations) with water and contain additives besides fruit juice, including natural and artificial sweeteners, and preservatives. In New Zealand, the usage is reversed, with "juice" denoting a sweetened fruit drink, whereas nectar refers to pure fruit.