What does "bourbon" mean?
A whiskey distilled in the United States from a mixture of grains in which at least 51% is corn, aged in charred, new oak barrels.
Bourbon
/ˈbɜː(ɹ).bən/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A whiskey distilled in the United States from a mixture of grains in which at least 51% is corn, aged in charred, new oak barrels.
- Grammar: bourbon is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: american whiskey, bircher, blimp, bourbon and branch.
- Usage evidence: John drinks Scotch and Mary bourbon.
How to use "bourbon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bourbon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bourbon" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bourbon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bourbon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bourbon" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "american whiskey" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bourbon", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A whiskey distilled in the United States from a mixture of grains in which at least 51% is corn, aged in charred, new oak barrels. countable, uncountable
- 2 whiskey distilled from a mash of corn and malt and rye and aged in charred oak barrels wordnet
- 3 A serving of bourbon whiskey. countable, uncountable
"It concerns the gnomelike quality of the average American at a party. I have been to many parties where staid American business men have been transformed by a few ryes or bourbons into unpredictable gremlins out for adventure."
- 4 a European royal line that ruled in France (from 1589-1793) and Spain and Naples and Sicily wordnet
- 5 A Bourbon biscuit. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a member of the European royal family that ruled France wordnet
- 7 a reactionary politician in the United States (usually from the South) wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A European dynasty which reigns in Spain and formerly ruled the Kingdom of France.
- 2 A surname from French.
- 3 A Bourbon Democrat. Southern-US, historical
"It was "a fundamental impossibility" for a black person to be a Bourbon, white-supremacist Democrat, but a black individual could very well become a "progressive Democrat.""
- 4 A Bourbon Democrat.; A white conservative, particularly in the context of opposition to equal rights for black people. Southern-US, historical
"For the Bourbon White elite and their allies, the intimidation of the Black laborers and farmers was necessary to prevent their political involvement and to maintain their subjugated location in the economy."
- 5 A county in Kentucky, see Bourbon County.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A street in New Orleans, Louisiana; in full, Bourbon Street.
- 7 The island of Réunion. obsolete
- 8 A town in Indiana.
- 9 A city in Missouri.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"John drinks Scotch and Mary bourbon."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bourbon"?
Common synonyms include: american whiskey, bircher, blimp, bourbon and branch, bourbon cream, bourbon dynasty.
How do you use "bourbon" in a sentence?
John drinks Scotch and Mary bourbon.
How do you pronounce "bourbon"?
Pronounced /ˈbɜː(ɹ).bən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From bourbon whiskey, originally Bourbon whiskey, of disputed provenance. Generally taken to derive from Bourbon County, Kentucky, but possibly also from Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Both derive from the French Bourbon dynasty, named for the lordship of French Bourbon l'Archambault. The town's name derives from Borvo, a local Celtic deity associated with hot springs, from Proto-Celtic *borvo (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to be hot, boil”). See also Borvo.
Etymology 2
The French Bourbon dynasty is named for the lordship of Bourbon l'Archambault. The town's name derives from Gaulish Borvo, a local Celtic deity associated with hot springs, from Proto-Celtic *borvo (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to be hot, boil”). Compare brew and fervent. The subsidiary senses derive from the dynasty's name.