whiskey
Americannoun
-
an alcoholic liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grain, as barley, rye, or corn, and usually containing from 43 to 50 percent alcohol.
-
a drink of whiskey.
-
a word used in communications to represent the letter W.
adjective
noun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of whiskey
1705–15; short for whiskybae < Irish uisce beatha or Scots Gaelic uisge beatha, ultimately translation of Medieval Latin aqua vitae literally, water of life; cf. usquebaugh
Vocabulary lists containing whiskey
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This isn’t their first collaboration; previously, Milgrom hosted a Miles Davis book launch party and a “Kind of Blue” Scotch whiskey tasting at the gallery.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Even Scott Jennings, the foul-mouthed Kentuckian with a habit of picking Derby losers and rumored to occasionally sip Tennessee whiskey instead of Kentucky bourbon, has been caught trashing the president — off camera.
From Salon • May 8, 2026
It is a deal that improves trade conditions for Scotch and Irish whiskey being sold to America, as well as US bourbon and used casks coming into the UK market.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
"The United States will allow preferential duty access for whiskey produced in the United Kingdom," Greer said in a statement.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Those parties have a very international flair, what with the scotch whiskey, American LPs, and the embassy gossip.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.