Meaning

noun firm chewy candy made from caramelized sugar and butter and milk

noun burnt sugar; used to color and flavor food

noun a medium to dark tan color

originBorrowed from French caramel, from Spanish caramelo, from Portuguese caramelo, dissimilated from Late Latin calamellus, diminutive of calamus (“reed”) (and a doublet of chalumeau and shawm). Alternatively from Medieval Latin cannamellis, which is a compound of canna + mellis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0