Meaning & use
candy floss
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableBritish
A light, sticky sweet made of spun sugar in thin threads, usually sold on a stick or in a bag at fairs and seaside resorts.
Grammar: Not counted directly: a stick of candy floss, some candy floss.
Patterns
- a stick of candy floss
- a bag of candy floss
The children shared a huge stick of pink candy floss at the fair.
Candy floss melts almost instantly on your tongue.
He got sugar all over his face while eating candy floss.
noununcountablefigurativeinformal
Something light, sweet or attractive on the surface but with little real value or substance.
Grammar: Used figuratively and often before a noun, as in candy floss pop.
Patterns
- candy floss entertainment
Critics dismissed the film as candy floss with no real story.
The magazine is pure candy floss, easy to read and quickly forgotten.
Common combinations
- stick of candy floss
- He bought a stick of candy floss on the pier.
- pink candy floss
- The stall sold bright pink candy floss.
- candy floss machine
- The candy floss machine spun sugar into a cloud.
- sticky candy floss
- Her fingers were sticky from the candy floss.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cotton candy
- Cotton candy is the American name for exactly the same treat, so use it in American contexts.
- fairy floss
- Fairy floss is the Australian term for the same sweet.
- fluff
- Fluff is used figuratively for shallow content, but it does not name the treat.
Word family
Commonly confused: candy floss or dental floss?
candy floss vs dental floss
Dental floss is thread used to clean between teeth and is not a sweet at all.
Practice
In British English, what do people call the spun sugar sold on a stick at funfairs?
Choose one answer.
Candy floss is the British word for spun sugar. Dental floss is for teeth, and the other treats are different foods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “candy floss”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.