absinthe

American  

[ab-sinth] / ˈæb sɪnθ /

Or absinth

noun

1. a green, aromatic liqueur that is 68 percent alcohol, is made with wormwood and other herbs, and has a bitter, licorice flavor.

2. wormwood.

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absinthe British  

/ ˈæbsɪnθ /

noun

1. a potent green alcoholic drink, technically a gin, originally having high wormwood content

2. another name for wormwood

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Other Word Forms

• absinthial adjective
• absinthian adjective

Etymology

Origin of absinthe

1605–15; < French < Latin absinthium wormwood < Greek apsínthion

Example Sentences

This enormous and authoritative work of scholarship, nearly a decade in the making, covers nearly every aspect of its subject matter, from absinthe spoons to maceration to the Zombie.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2021

A note about absinthe: A mere haunting of it remains behind in the glass, and yet its anise flavor remains essential to the character of the drink.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2021

Baz Luhrmann's 2001 jukebox musical was the film equivalent of absinthe, mind-alteringly great for some, queasily awful for others.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2019

These days, the books are stashed in a closet, and the visible artifacts in the apartment are homages to anime, absinthe, bodybuilding, and John Waters.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 20, 2018

Isobel hesitates, glancing around at the clientele, a mostly bohemian crowd sipping absinthe and arguing about art.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern