brandy

American  

[bran-dee] / ˈbræn di /

noun

brandies plural

1. a spirit distilled from wine or from the fermented juice of grapes or of apples, peaches, plums, etc.

---

verb (used with object)

brandied, brandying

1. to mix, flavor, or preserve with brandy.

brandy British  

/ ˈbrændɪ /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink consisting of spirit distilled from grape wine

2. a distillation of wines made from other fruits

   plum brandy

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• brandies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of brandy

1615–25; short for brandywine < Dutch brandewijn burnt (i.e., distilled) wine

Compare meaning

How does brandy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• brandy vs. cognac

Example Sentences

Brandy Melville is “the high-school mean girl” of stores, 17-year-old shopper Layla Davis said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Brandy Melville is one of the few chains where girls and women can find on-trend and relatively well-constructed cotton basics for a low price point, keeping even disgruntled shoppers coming back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Brandy Melville, established in 1980, draws both love and hate on social media.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

To finish, he served a dish dedicated to his wife's family - a twist on the Brandy Alexander cocktail.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

When Ronan and I go to wait outside the stage door to see Aimee and Michael, Tressa and Brandy are there, too.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Related Words

• whiskey