liquor

[ lik-er lik-wawr ]

noun

1. a distilled or spirituous beverage, as brandy or whiskey, as distinguished from a fermented beverage, as wine or beer.
2. any liquid substance, as broth from cooked meats or vegetables.

   Synonyms: juice

3. Pharmacology. solution ( def 6 ).
4. a solution of a substance, especially a concentrated one used in the industrial arts.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to furnish or ply with liquor to drink (often followed by up ).

verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to drink large quantities of liquor (often followed by up ).

liquor

/ ˈlɪkə /

noun

1. any alcoholic drink, esp spirits, or such drinks collectively
2. any liquid substance, esp that in which food has been cooked
3. pharmacol a solution of a pure substance in water
4. brewing warm water added to malt to form wort
5. in liquor
   in liquor drunk; intoxicated

verb

1. brewing to steep (malt) in warm water to form wort; mash

Other Words From

• liquor·y adjective
• anti·liquor adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of liquor¹

1175–1225; < Latin: a liquid, originally liquidity ( liqu ( ēre ) to be liquid + -or -or ¹ ); replacing Middle English lic ( o ) ur < Old French ( French liqueur ) < Latin liquōrem, accusative of liquor

Word History and Origins

Origin of liquor¹

C13: via Old French from Latin, from liquēre to be liquid

Example Sentences

Stitzel recently identified concentrations of organic compounds in cocoa liquor from Vietnam, Indonesia, Honduras, Ecuador and Mexico.

From Science News

Stitzel works with samples of cocoa liquor — cocoa beans that have been fermented, dried, roasted and ground into a paste — from across the globe.

From Science News

In unpublished work, she was able to use an elemental analysis to accurately link cocoa liquor to its country of origin about 97 percent of the time.

From Science News

The next day, Illinois allowed bars and restaurants to start selling unopened bottles of beer, wine and liquor, but mixed drinks were excluded.

From Fortune

The tariffs make importing these liquors more expensive, reducing demand.

From Quartz

The possibilities seem endless: Who needs a trip to the liquor store when the toddler can turn water into wine, amirite?

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps the most Jewish part of the 6th Annual Latke Festival was that the food went way faster than the liquor.

From The Daily Beast

Why was a master photographer recruited to work with one of the most successful liquor brands on the planet?

From The Daily Beast

His court-appointed lawyer was drinking a quart of liquor per day.

From The Daily Beast

The theft, which was over in less than a minute, took place in a North London liquor store.

From The Daily Beast

They became quite jolly as cocktails and red liquor flowed and tingled their veins.

From Project Gutenberg

The steward, a young mulatto, had contracted the bad habit of indulging too much in liquor.

From Project Gutenberg

In one particular his crime made him a changed man; from the moment he fled he never touched another drop of liquor.

From Project Gutenberg

Last night we celebrated Dubuques birthday, and I came back rather the worse for liquor.

From Project Gutenberg

Preparations of malt liquor were at that time deemed essential articles of comfort.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alcohol
• booze
• whiskey