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kirsch

[keersh]
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noun
  1. a fragrant, colorless, unaged brandy distilled from a fermented mash of cherries, produced especially in Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace, France.
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Origin of kirsch

1810–20; < German Kirsch, shortened form of Kirschwasser, equivalent to Kirsch(e) cherry + Wasser water
Also called kirsch·was·ser [keersh-vah-ser] /ˈkɪərʃˌvɑ sər/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for kirschwasser

Historical Examples

  • The valley of Montafon is further celebrated for its production of kirschwasser.

    The Valleys of Tirol

    R. H. Busk

  • Same as au kirsch, only use maraschino instead of kirschwasser.

  • Add half a gill of kirschwasser, and pour at once into jelly glasses.

  • Hast ever a drop of kirschwasser, brother Michael, in thy convent?

    The Headsman

    James Fenimore Cooper

  • Taste that, master; take a small glass of kirschwasser, and then lie down.

    The Man-Wolf and Other Tales

    Emile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian

British Dictionary definitions for kirschwasser

Kirsch

Kirschwasser (ˈkɪəʃˌvɑːsə)

noun
  1. a brandy distilled from cherries, made chiefly in the Black Forest in Germany and in the Jura and Vosges districts of France
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Word Origin

German Kirschwasser cherry water
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

Word Origin and History for kirschwasser

n.

"liquor distilled from fermented cherry juice," 1819, from German Kirschwasser, literally "cherry-water;" first element from Middle High German kirse, from Old High German kirsa, from Vulgar Latin *ceresia, from Late Latin cerasium "cherry" (see cherry). For second element, see water (n.1).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper