An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. A family of simple, often sweet, compounds consisting of → carbon, → hydrogen, and → oxygen obtained particularly from sugarcane and sugar beets. The sugar family includes glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, maltose, lactose,
   and galactose. Sugar molecules have been detected in
   → interstellar medium  → molecular clouds.
   

2. Specifically, → sucrose.

Etymology (EN): M.E. sugre, sucre, from O.Fr. sucre, from M.L. succarum, from Ar. sukkar, from Pers. shakar, from Skt. šárkarā- “ground or candied sugar,” originally “grit, gravel.”

Etymology (PE): Šekar, Mid.Pers. šakar, ultimately from Skt. šárkarā-, as above.