demerara
/dɛməˈɹɛɹə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.29 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A river which rises in the rainforests of Guyana, and flows north to the Atlantic Ocean, which the country's capital of Georgetown is situated on; in full, the Demerara River.
name
A region of Guyana in South America, Essequebo en Demerary (Essequibo and Demerara), formerly a Dutch (later British) colony, located around the lower courses of this river.
noun
A type of natural, unrefined or partially refined cane sugar, which is light brown in colour, particularly used in pastries and biscuits like shortbread.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
Etymology
The placename derives from an Arawak word. Perhaps Malali ("fast running stream"), which would have originally been the name of a section of rapids, from which the Dutch called the whole river de Malali ("the Malali"), which (with incorporation of the definite article into the name, and alternation of l and r) became Demerara. Alternatively, perhaps Immenary or Dumaruni meaning “river of the letterwood”. The sugar is so-called because it was grown in the region around the river.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /dɛməˈɹɛɹə/
- British English: /dɛməˈɹɛəɹə/