libation
Americannoun
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a pouring out of wine or other liquid in honor of a deity.
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the liquid poured out.
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Often Facetious.
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an intoxicating beverage, as wine, especially when drunk in ceremonial or celebrative situations.
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an act or instance of drinking such a beverage.
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noun
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the pouring out of wine, etc, in honour of a deity
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the liquid so poured out
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facetious an alcoholic drink
Other Word Forms
- libational adjective
- libationary adjective
Etymology
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
Explanation
Certain ceremonies require dumping a little bit of liquid, usually alcohol, onto the ground. It might seem wasteful, but it’s really a powerful symbolic act called a libation — and it’s worth every drop. In ancient Greece, anyone could make a libation as a sacrifice in hopes that the gods would see it and be pleased. Today some people offer libations in memory of a loved one that has died. One sip for you, one for your homies, as the saying goes. Libation is also a joke term for an alcoholic drink, so you could make a cocktail and call it "a libation."
Vocabulary lists containing libation
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Joyous Kwanzaa! Vocabulary Worth Celebrating
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
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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.
A few soft drinks are the only libation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2024
Airag, a lightly alcoholic beverage made from fermented horse milk, remains a popular libation in Mongolia.
From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2023
While the drink may veer into a bit of a sweet realm, it would certainly make a bright and festive libation to enjoy over the holidays.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2022
And, if you have diabetes, or are at increased risk of it due to family history or already elevated blood sugar levels, consider enjoying your wine or other libation only with a meal.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2022
When she was dying, wracked with her irruptions, in the slave quarters of that house in Canaan, this libation sat by her, untouched.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
