sweetener

Everyday

1. A sweetener is something put in food or drink to make it taste sweet, especially a substance used instead of sugar. tree →
2. Something extra offered to make a deal or idea more attractive. tree →

In the lessons

Used in health and food lessons: reading food labels; "sugar-free" drinks often contain artificial sweeteners. Honey and syrup are natural sweeteners. Phrase (informal): "as a sweetener" means as a little bonus to persuade someone.

Examples

• This drink has sweetener instead of sugar. tree →
• Honey is a natural sweetener. tree →
• Read the label to see which sweetener is used. tree →
• Grandad puts sweetener in his tea. tree →
• The shop gave a free gift as a sweetener. tree →
• Some sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar. tree →

Note

Countable (sweeteners) and uncountable (some sweetener). From "sweeten". Sugar-free does not always mean healthy.