libation

[lahy-bey-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR libation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

1350–1400; Middle English libacio(u)n < Latin lībātiōn- (stem of lībātiō) a drink offering, equivalent to lībāt(us) (past participle of lībāre to pour; cognate with Greek leíbein) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsli·ba·tion·al, li·ba·tion·ar·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for libation

sacrifice, drink, gift, offering

Examples from the Web for libation

Contemporary Examples of libation

If liquor and dessert are equally essential to you enjoying the holiday, at least choose your libation wisely.
12 Thanksgiving Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work
DailyBurn
November 27, 2014
A libation that would not weigh our hero down, but could take flight right alongside the Green Lantern himself.
Lights, Camera, Cocktails
Brody Brown
June 17, 2011

Historical Examples of libation

I wonder; for there is something besides guanabana in the libation!
The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba
Walter Goodman
One of these was in the form of a man pouring from a cup a libation to the gods.
Captains of Industry
James Parton
To gain them you have but to take this goblet and pour the libation on yonder altar.
The Martyr of the Catacombs
Anonymous
This libation restored him all his coolness and presence of mind.
The Freebooters
Gustave Aimard
For the same reason the cup was offered—broken—with the libation.
Demonology and Devil-lore
Moncure Daniel Conway

British Dictionary definitions for libation

libation

noun

the pouring out of wine, etc, in honour of a deity
the liquid so poured out

usually facetious an alcoholic drink

Derived Formslibational or libationary, adjective

Word Origin for libation

C14: from Latin lībātiō, from lībāre to pour an offering of drink

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 libation

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.