Learn English – In UK, do you say, or used to say, ‘candy’ to mean ‘boiled sweet’

british-englishfoodmeaning

In UK, do you say, or used to say, 'candy' to mean 'boiled sweet'(Br) = 'hard candy'(Am)?

I found this definition on some dictionaries, but except Pocket Oxford, they're all British and rather old (up to 1974), but I can't find it on modern dictionaries.

Dictionaries with "candy" as "boiled sweet":
1911 Century Dictionary online; The concise Oxford dictionary, 1964; Collins modern English dictionary, 1974; The pocket Oxford dictionary, 1992.

EDIT: below is added after the comments by @Unrelated, @Clare and the answer by @Laurel.

This definition is also given in Merriam-Webster, which is American. (OTOH MW says "sweet" can mean "hard candy" in UK, which I've never seen anywhere else.)

Dictionaries (and other usages) without this definition:

Best Answer

Not sure what dictionary you're using, but mine has this entry for "candy":

British Sugar crystallized by repeated boiling and slow evaporation.
Oxford Dictionaries

The blog Separated by a Common Language gives a great explanation:

In BrE, candy refers to things that are made from sugar that's been melted (usually with water and some flavo(u)ring) and resolidified in some form, including boiled sweets (AmE = hard candy) and candy floss (AmE = cotton candy).

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