cognac

[ kohn-yak, kon-; French kaw-nyak ]

/ ˈkoʊn yæk, ˈkɒn-; French kɔˈnyak /

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noun

(often initial capital letter) the brandy distilled in and shipped from the legally delimited area surrounding the town of Cognac, in W central France.

any French brandy.

any good brandy.

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Origin of cognac

Borrowed into English from French around 1585–95

Words nearby cognac

cogitable, cogitate, cogitation, cogitative, cogito, ergo sum, cognac, cognate, cognate object, cognation, Cognex, cognisant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use cognac in a sentence

Trey Lamont, the owner Jerk Shack in Seattle, said chicken prices have more than doubled and he can’t get Hennessy or other cognacs.
‘We can’t take another blow’: Some restaurants may not survive renewed mask mandates|Laura Reiley|July 30, 2021|Washington Post
He makes a 19th-century-style raspberry shrub for Roosevelt Punch, a drink made with cognac, Madeira, Jamaican rum, cold brew, and raspberry shrub, inspired by a punch that Theodore Roosevelt served at a party in 1902.
Homemade Shrubs Are Your Gateway to a World of Sweet, Tangy Summer Drinking|Aliza Abarbanel|July 8, 2021|Eater
Americans may be known to love a cold beer, but lots of them are also sipping champagne or cognac as they ride out the pandemic.
Americans are drinking lots of champagne and cognac|Marc Bain|April 13, 2021|Quartz
From cognac to bourbon, rye to añejo tequila, many of our beloved spirits spend years aging in wooden casks.
How Much Do Whisky Casks Really Affect Taste?||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The cognac, an effort by the Georgian vintners to replicate the traditional French liquor, is valued at $1400 for a single bottle.
Meditation Rugs, Swords, and Horse Head Fiddles: The Strangest Gifts Given to Government Bigwigs|Ben Jacobs|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also smokes copious amounts of weed mooched off his friends and makes miracles by turning water into cognac.
‘Black Jesus’ Resurrected: Racial Stereotypes or Subversive Comedy?|Rawiya Kameir|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He replied, “Oh, I had six bottles of wine and three bottles of cognac.”
Rob Reiner on the State of Romcoms, ‘The Princess Bride’s’ Alternate Ending, and the Red Viper|Marlow Stern|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bandar bin Sultan smoked fine cigars and drank finer Cognac.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia’s Gatsby, Master Spy|Christopher Dickey|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lachaume, the painter, and I were chatting at one of its little tables, he over an absinthe and I over a coffee and cognac.
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith
He tried the captain, but that worthy seaman was sleeping like a hog, and the cognac was running in slavers from his mouth.
The Chequers|James Runciman
As every cup was well flavored with cognac, it made all their faces red, and confused their ideas still more.
Maupassant Original Short Stories (180), Complete|Guy de Maupassant
The Roman Catholics, advancing, laid siege to Cognac, confident of easy success.
History of the Rise of the Huguenots|Henry Baird
I suggested that it was a very trying trip, and asked her if she would allow me to offer her some of my cognac.
In the Fog|Richard Harding Davis

British Dictionary definitions for cognac

Cognac

/ (ˈkɒnjæk, French kɔɲak) /

noun

a town in SW France: centre of the district famed for its brandy. Pop: 19 534 (1999)

(sometimes not capital) a high-quality grape brandy

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