bitters

American  

[bit-erz] / ˈbɪt ərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. 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.

2. 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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bitters British  

/ ˈbɪtəz /

plural noun

1. bitter-tasting spirits of varying alcoholic content flavoured with plant extracts

2. a similar liquid containing a bitter-tasting substance, used as a tonic to stimulate the appetite or improve digestion

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Etymology

Origin of bitters

First recorded in 1705–15; bitter + -s ³

Example Sentences

Caporale offers one recipe: “A green tea Old Fashioned, sweetened with honey and flavored with lemon bitters, is spectacular.”

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

Other ways in which we “close the loop” are through syrups, infusions, shrubs, tinctures and bitters.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2024

They also offer rosé and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc by the glass, but the frozen concoction with bitters was the perfect antidote for Coachella’s striking afternoon sun.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

If you want to make a nonalcoholic drink, simply add soda water, tonic and, if you like, a few dashes of Angostura bitters.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 10, 2023

Shuttled from one specialist to the next, the girl had been prescribed to shun garlic, consume disproportionate quantities of bitters, meditate, drink green coconut water, and swallow raw duck’s eggs beaten in milk.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri