hoochinoo

or hoot·chi·noo

[ hoo-chuh-noo, hoo-chuh-noo ]

noun

, plural hoo·chi·noos.

1. a type of distilled liquor made by Alaskan Indians.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hoochinoo¹

1875–80, Americanism; originally the name of a Tlingit village on Admiralty Island, Alaska, reputed to be a source of illicit liquor; alteration of Tlingit xucnu·wú literally, brown bear's fort ( xú·c brown bear + nu·w fortified place)