toffee

[ taw-fee, tof-ee ]

noun

1. a brittle or chewy brown candy made of sugar or molasses boiled down with butter, often mixed with nuts.
2. British. taffy.

toffee

/ ˈtɒfɪ /

noun

1. a sweet made from sugar or treacle boiled with butter, nuts, etc
2. for toffee informal.
   preceded by can't to be incompetent at a specified activity

   he can't sing for toffee

Word History and Origins

Origin of toffee¹

First recorded in 1860–65; the earlier variants toughy, tuffy were first recorded in 1825–30 ; southern British dialect form of original northern British dialect taffy ( def ); further origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of toffee¹

C19: variant of earlier taffy

Example Sentences

For the beer lover on your list, Red Bear Brewing has The Krampus Shuffle – Abbey Style Quad that has dark ale has notes of raisins, toffee, plum, vanilla, cinnamon, and clove.

From Washington Blade

Sticky toffee pudding is the warm, saucy British dessert you can make at homeThe next day, there would be dishes to do, wine glasses to polish and ingredients to put away.

From Washington Post

Meanwhile younger, lighter colors evoke citrus and tree fruits, candy sugars and vanilla toffee.

From The Daily Beast

So rich and delicious, so dark and layered with coffee and hazelnuts, toffee, orange peel, cigar box.

From The Daily Beast

The former governor is so buttoned-down and toffee-nosed he belongs at Downton Abbey.

From The Daily Beast

End with spiced honey cider ($11), sticky toffee pudding or both.

From The Daily Beast

Because stout beers are made by roasting malt or barley, certain types have clear hints of coffee, toffee, and chocolate.

From The Daily Beast

We were too apt to patronise scholarship winners, as though a scholarship was toffee given as a reward for virtue.

From Project Gutenberg

A residual product of this dish is a sort of hard-bake toffee, formed by the leakage of jam from the chupatties.

From Project Gutenberg

Her eyes, like a shallow Scotch brook, were laughing at him: like transparent toffee they were or burnt sugar or amber.

From Project Gutenberg

Limit your diet to water and crusts, and abstain from sweets, cakes, and toffee in any form.

From Project Gutenberg

No, not the very one—they've got that at the other place, and the piece of toffee the baby sucked.

From Project Gutenberg