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bitters

[ bit-erz ]
/ ˈbɪt ərz /
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noun (used with a plural verb)
a liquid, often an alcoholic liquor, in which bitter herbs or roots have steeped, used as a flavoring, especially in mixed drinks, or as a tonic.
Pharmacology.
  1. a liquid, usually alcoholic, impregnated with a bitter medicine, as gentian or quassia, used to increase the appetite or as a tonic.
  2. bitter medicinal substances in general, as quinine.
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Origin of bitters

First recorded in 1705–15; bitter + -s3
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bitters in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bitters

bitters
/ (ˈbɪtəz) /

pl n
bitter-tasting spirits of varying alcoholic content flavoured with plant extracts
a similar liquid containing a bitter-tasting substance, used as a tonic to stimulate the appetite or improve digestion
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
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