What does "sambuca" mean?
An Italian liqueur made from elderberries and flavoured with licorice, traditionally served with 3 coffee beans that represent health, wealth and fortune (or past, present and future).
Sambuca
/sæmˈbukə/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An Italian liqueur made from elderberries and flavoured with licorice, traditionally served with 3 coffee beans that represent health, wealth and fortune (or past, present and future).
- Grammar: sambuca is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: anise liqueur, anisette.
- Useful contrasts: nonalcoholic beverage.
- Usage evidence: Cymbals, trumpets and organs (familiar Old Testament vocabulary) appear conventionally enough as cymballe, trwmpedau and organau, but the more obscure psaltria, trigona, and sambucae (psalteries, trigons and sambucae: three types of Greek harp) become psalteris, kornets, shalmes, [a] dulcimus in translation (Chapter Six, paragraph 7); cornets and shawns are, of course, wind instruments.
How to use "sambuca"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sambuca" 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 "sambuca" 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 "sambuca" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sambuca" 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 "sambuca" is acting as 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 "anise liqueur" 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 "sambuca", 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 An Italian liqueur made from elderberries and flavoured with licorice, traditionally served with 3 coffee beans that represent health, wealth and fortune (or past, present and future). uncountable, usually
- 2 An ancient form of triangular harp having a very sharp, shrill tone. historical
"Cymbals, trumpets and organs (familiar Old Testament vocabulary) appear conventionally enough as cymballe, trwmpedau and organau, but the more obscure psaltria, trigona, and sambucae (psalteries, trigons and sambucae: three types of Greek harp) become psalteris, kornets, shalmes, [a] dulcimus in translation (Chapter Six, paragraph 7); cornets and shawns are, of course, wind instruments."
- 3 an Italian liqueur made with elderberries and flavored with licorice wordnet
- 4 An ancient type of ship-borne siege engine. historical
"Marcellus had prepared, at great expense, machines called ſambucae, from their reſemblance to a muſical inſtrument of that name.[…]“Shall we perſiſt,” ſaid he to his workmen and engineers, “in making war with this Briareus of a geometrician, who treats my gallies and ſambucae ſo rudely? He infinitely exceeds the fabled giants with their hundred hands, in his perpetual and ſurpriſing diſcharges upon us.”"
Synonyms
All synonyms anise liqueuranisette
Antonyms
nonalcoholic beverage
Example
"Cymbals, trumpets and organs (familiar Old Testament vocabulary) appear conventionally enough as cymballe, trwmpedau and organau, but the more obscure psaltria, trigona, and sambucae (psalteries, trigons and sambucae: three types of Greek harp) become psalteris, kornets, shalmes, [a] dulcimus in translation (Chapter Six, paragraph 7); cornets and shawns are, of course, wind instruments."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sambuca"?
Common synonyms include: anise liqueur, anisette.
How do you use "sambuca" in a sentence?
Cymbals, trumpets and organs (familiar Old Testament vocabulary) appear conventionally enough as cymballe, trwmpedau and organau, but the more obscure psaltria, trigona, and sambucae (psalteries, trigons and sambucae: three types of Greek harp) become psalteris, kornets, shalmes, [a] dulcimus in translation (Chapter Six, paragraph 7); cornets and shawns are, of course, wind instruments.
How do you pronounce "sambuca"?
Pronounced /sæmˈbukə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
] Borrowed from Italian sambuca, from Latin sambūcus (“elder tree”), due to a similar 19th century liquor flavored with elderflower. Modern sambuca, which doesn't necessarily have elderberry, started being marketed in 1971.
Etymology 2
From Latin sambūca, from Ancient Greek σαμβύκη (sambúkē), ultimately from Aramaic סַבְּכָא (sabbəḵā).