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Whiskey
Definitions
- 1 A liquor distilled from the fermented mash of grain (as rye, corn, or barley). England, Ireland, US, countable, uncountable
"The exceſſive drinking of ſpirituous liquours, eſpecially whiſkey, is now become ſo common, that more people are killed by them, than by ſmall-pox, fevers, broken limbs, accidents, and all other diſtempers put together. And we are credibly informed, that in one dram ſhop only in this town, there are 120 gallons of that accurſed ſpirit, whiſkey, ſold."
- 2 A light gig or carriage drawn by one horse. historical
"Ye Ladies of Lapland who beesoms bestride, Or, pair’d in Witch Whiskeys, aslant the Moon slide;"
- 3 a liquor made from fermented mash of grain wordnet
- 4 A drink of whiskey. England, Ireland, US, countable, uncountable
- 5 Alternative letter-case form of Whiskey from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. alt-of, countable, uncountable
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥der. Proto-Celtic *udenskyos Old Irish uisce Irish uisce Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós Proto-Celtic *biwos Proto-Celtic *-tūts Proto-Celtic *biwotūts Old Irish bethu Irish beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Irish uisce beathabor. ▲ Old Irish uisce Scottish Gaelic uisge ▲ Old Irish bethu Scottish Gaelic beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Scottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor. English usquebaugh English usque English whiskey Variant of usque, abbreviation of usquebaugh, from Irish uisce beatha, calque of Medieval Latin aqua vītae (“water of life”). Compare akvavit, aquavit, aqua vitae, eau de vie, and water of life from the same source and vodka from a Russian diminutive for water in reference to the dilution of pure grain spirits.
From whisk + -ey.
See also for "whiskey"
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