What does "hooch" mean?
An alcoholic beverage, especially an inferior or illicit one and especially liquor such as whisky.
Hooch
/huːt͡ʃ/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An alcoholic beverage, especially an inferior or illicit one and especially liquor such as whisky.
- Grammar: hooch is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alcohol, alcohol, aqua vitae, bathtub.
- Useful contrasts: nonalcoholic beverage.
- Usage evidence: he was so grief-stricken that he literally drowned his sorrow in “hootch-i-noo,” the native equivalent of whiskey. […] Had he not been so sad he would not have drunk the “hootch,” and if he had not drunk the hootch he would not have died: a perfectly reasonable and logical argument.
How to use "hooch"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hooch" 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?
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- 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 "hooch" 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
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hooch" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 An alcoholic beverage, especially an inferior or illicit one and especially liquor such as whisky. Canada, US, countable, informal, uncountable
"he was so grief-stricken that he literally drowned his sorrow in “hootch-i-noo,” the native equivalent of whiskey. […] Had he not been so sad he would not have drunk the “hootch,” and if he had not drunk the hootch he would not have died: a perfectly reasonable and logical argument."
- 2 A thatched hut, CHU, or any simple dwelling.
"Burn the hooches."
- 3 Alternative form of hoosh (“type of stew”). alt-of, alternative, uncountable
- 4 an illicitly distilled (and usually inferior) alcoholic liquor wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
nonalcoholic beverage
Example
"he was so grief-stricken that he literally drowned his sorrow in “hootch-i-noo,” the native equivalent of whiskey. […] Had he not been so sad he would not have drunk the “hootch,” and if he had not drunk the hootch he would not have died: a perfectly reasonable and logical argument."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hooch"?
Common synonyms include: alcohol, alcohol, aqua vitae, bathtub, bathtub gin, blockade.
How do you use "hooch" in a sentence?
he was so grief-stricken that he literally drowned his sorrow in “hootch-i-noo,” the native equivalent of whiskey. […] Had he not been so sad he would not have drunk the “hootch,” and if he had not drunk the hootch he would not have died: a perfectly reasonable and logical argument.
How do you pronounce "hooch"?
Pronounced /huːt͡ʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Abbreviation of hoochinoo, name of a specific liquor, from Tlingit Xutsnoowú Ḵwáan, the group that produced it, from Hutsnuwu (“grizzly bear fort”), the name of the village on Admiralty Island in which they lived. From Tlingit xóots (“grizzly bear”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Japanese 家(うち) (uchi, “house”).