Poteen
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Illegally produced Irish whiskey; moonshine. Ireland, countable, uncountable
"The Irish peasantry practice the distillation of that illicit spirituous liquor, so well known by the name of poteen whiskey, with a most unaccountable infatuation."
- 2 unlawfully distilled Irish whiskey wordnet
- 3 An unlicensed drinking establishment selling illegally produced Irish whiskey. Ireland, broadly, countable
"Kildrumferton … Pop. 9,687 […] There are nine licensed public houses; poteens many more. Illicit distillation prevails to a very great extent, the district being rarely visited by the revenue police, not indeed for years past; the presence of the excise officer in a neighbouring town is the only check."
Example
More examples"The Irish peasantry practice the distillation of that illicit spirituous liquor, so well known by the name of poteen whiskey, with a most unaccountable infatuation."
Etymology
From Irish poitín (“little pot; poteen”), from pota (“pot”) (from Middle English potte, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *budn- (“type of vessel”)) + -ín (diminutive suffix).