a member of a French royal family that ruled in France 1589–1792, Spain 1700–1931, and Naples 1735–1806, 1815–60.
Charles Constable de Bourbon, 1490–1527, French general.
a person who is extremely conservative or reactionary.
Also called bourbon whiskey. (lowercase) a straight whiskey distilled from a mash having 51 percent or more corn: originally the corn whiskey produced in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
C19: named after Bourbon county, Kentucky, where it was first made
Bourbon is a type of barrel-aged whiskey made in Kentucky. This is a strong, but popular, type of liquor. Bourbon may be French in origin, but the whiskey bearing this name is all-American: it’s named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. Bourbon isn't the kind of alcohol you can drink a pint of, like beer. Bourbon has a strong, bitter taste and it's very high in alcohol. Bourbon is made from corn, malt, and rye, and it's aged in barrels: this adds to the taste and potency. Visitors to Kentucky love to tour bourbon distilleries.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He relishes classical concerts and playing the trombone in a Bourbon Street nightclub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
"It's very energetic, very chaotic," said Melanie Mendoza, a waitress at the Bourbon and Branch, a bar not far from the iconic Garden that is fully decked out in the team's colors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026
There’s even a tiny pop/rock subgenre of songs based on Anne Rice’s vampire novels: Sting’s “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” Annie Lennox’s “Love Song for a Vampire,” and Concrete Blonde’s “Bloodletting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2026
His thought processes recall Talleyrand’s description of the Bourbon kings: “They forgot nothing and they learned nothing.”
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
He was full of questions about home and just as full of advice about how to get along in Bourbon.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Kentucky holds a record 16.1 million barrels of bourbon, enough for 10 years, amid a slowdown in U.S. alcohol consumption.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Distillery workers have been reassigned to bottling, and the company is experimenting with new ways to sell its bourbon, including pushing flavored varieties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
“It’s very emotional,” said Freddie Noe, an eighth-generation member of the brand’s founding family and the master distiller at Jim Beam, the world’s bestselling bourbon brand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
The rolling, forested hills of Kentucky’s bourbon country are ground zero for the slowdown afflicting the U.S. alcohol industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Now that all his good ole boy, tough bourbon talk has evaporated, I wonder if he’s this pathetic all the time.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
