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

The bitters are then added to club soda and served over ice.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

Caporale’s go-to base when crafting an Aperol Spritz mocktail is a “good dash” of cocktail bitters, specifically Angostura bitters.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

You can even embrace your inner mixologist by investing in a few non-alcoholic bitters.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024

“There are places using bitters and different things to make a drink that tastes like an old-fashioned, and that is not what we are doing,” she said.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2024

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