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
Derived Forms
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.
Airag, a lightly alcoholic beverage made from fermented horse milk, remains a popular libation in Mongolia.
From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2023
China’s first allotment of J-Harden Wines, the libation launched by NBA star guard James Harden, sold out in a matter of seconds in a livestream on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
From Washington Times • Aug. 17, 2023
As noted, this libation landed a gold medal at the inaugural High Spirits Awards, as did another flavor in the Fable stable; a blend of hibiscus, ginger and mint called Night Flight.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2023
Popular since the 1840s, root beer, which, like so many of America’s sodas, straddled the line between patent medicine and soothing nonalcoholic libation, was enjoyed as a hot beverage or as a carbonated soda.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2023
I’m now only missing a potted plant for the libation.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
