The word has also come to mean anything that is sickeningly sweet and substanceless. Think Kathie Lee Gifford, Precious Moments figurines, Hallmark cards, and those god-awful pictures of kittens dangling from tree limbs that say "Hang in there!"

Sac"cha*rine (? ∨ ?), a. [F. saccharin, fr. L. saccharon sugar, Gr. , , Skr. sarkara. Cf. Sugar.]

Of or pertaining to sugar; having the qualities of sugar; producing sugar; sweet; as, a saccharine taste; saccharine matter.

© Webster 1913.