sugar-plum (SHŎŎG-ər-plŭm)

Definition

(Noun) Something very pleasing or agreeable, especially when given as a sop or bribe.

In Context

“That was my father’s way of extracting the most out of everyone — dangling his sugar plums that would vanish when reached for.”

V. C. Andrews, If There Be Thorns, 1981.