aqua vitae

[ vahy-tee, vee-tee ]
See synonyms for aqua vitae on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. spirituous liquor, as brandy or whiskey.

Origin of aqua vitae

1
1375–1425; late Middle English aqua vite<Latin: water of life; cf. aquavit, whiskey

Words Nearby aqua vitae

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aqua vitae in a sentence

  • We decide to have a round drink: they choose the precious aqua vitae: the white sort I think.

    Sea and Sardinia | D. H. Lawrence
  • Thou wilt await at Cumnor Place my further orders; and, as thou livest, beware of the ale-bench and the aqua vitae flask.

    Kenilworth | Sir Walter Scott
  • Bradford mentions "aqua vitae" as a constituent of their lunch on the exploring party of November 15.

  • "Truly a potent aqua vitae," he remarked, still with thoughtful melancholy.

    To Have and To Hold | Mary Johnston
  • I would give all the pohickory that was ever brewed by heathen for a toss of aqua vitae!

    To Have and To Hold | Mary Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for aqua vitae

aqua vitae

/ (ˈviːtaɪ, ˈvaɪtiː) /


noun
  1. an archaic name for brandy

Origin of aqua vitae

1
Medieval Latin: water of life

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012