Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

eau de vie

American  
[ohduh-vee, oh duh vee] / oʊdəˈvi, ˌoʊ də ˈvi /

noun

French.

  1. brandy, especially a coarser and less purified variety.

eau de vie British  
/ əʊ də viː, od vi /

noun

  1. brandy or other spirits

"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

Etymology

Origin of eau de vie

Literally, water of life; cf. aqua vitae

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“They would use real apple juice or clarified apple juice or they would use an eau de vie from Europe.”

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025

If any of you uncover some ancient recipe for pickles and eau de vie, something that balances the humors, perhaps, let me know.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2022

Taking the play in is like sipping a rarefied eau de vie, the kind that scalds as it cools.

From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2019

I rolled up a bit of rag, dipped it in some eau de vie and water that I had with me, and gave it to him to suck.

From The Waif of the "Cynthia" by Laurie, André

French call it eau de vie, and that, in case you don’t know it, means ‘water of life.’

From Unwise Child by Garrett, Randall

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.