libation
- a pouring out of wine or other liquid in honor of a deity.
- the liquid poured out.
- Often Facetious.
- an intoxicating beverage, as wine, especially when drunk in ceremonial or celebrative situations.
- an act or instance of drinking such a beverage.
Origin of libation
Examples from the Web for libation
Contemporary Examples
If liquor and dessert are equally essential to you enjoying the holiday, at least choose your libation wisely.
A libation that would not weigh our hero down, but could take flight right alongside the Green Lantern himself.
Historical Examples
I wonder; for there is something besides guanabana in the libation!
The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in CubaWalter Goodman
One of these was in the form of a man pouring from a cup a libation to the gods.
Captains of IndustryJames Parton
To gain them you have but to take this goblet and pour the libation on yonder altar.
The Martyr of the CatacombsAnonymous
This libation restored him all his coolness and presence of mind.
The FreebootersGustave Aimard
For the same reason the cup was offered—broken—with the libation.
Demonology and Devil-loreMoncure Daniel Conway
libation
- the pouring out of wine, etc, in honour of a deity
- the liquid so poured out
- usually facetious an alcoholic drink
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for libation
n.
late 14c., "pouring out of wine in honor of a god," from Latin libationem (nominative libatio) "a drink offering," noun of action from past participle stem of libare "pour out (an offering)," from PIE *(s)leib- "to pour, drop" (cf. Greek leibein "to pour, make a libation"), an enlargement of root *lei- "to pour, to flow" (cf. Sanskrit riyati "to let run;" Greek aleison "a wine vessel;" Lithuanian lieju "to pour," lytus "rain;" Hittite lilai- "to let go;" Albanian lyse, lise "a stream;" Welsh lliant "a stream, a sea," llifo "to flow;" Old Irish lie "a flood;" Breton livad "inundation;" Gaelic lighe "a flood, overflow;" Gothic leithu "fruit wine;" Old Church Slavonic liti, lêju, Bulgarian leja "I pour;" Czech liti, leji, Old Polish lić "to pour"). Transferred sense of "liquid poured out to be drunk" is from 1751. Related: Libations.