liqueur

American  

[li-kur, -kyoor, lee-kœr] / lɪˈkɜr, -ˈkyʊər, liˈkœr /

noun

1. any of a class of alcoholic liquors, usually strong, sweet, and highly flavored, as Chartreuse or curaçao, generally served after dinner; cordial.

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liqueur British  

/ lɪˈkjʊə, likœr /

noun

1. 1. any of several highly flavoured sweetened spirits such as kirsch or cointreau, intended to be drunk after a meal

   2. ( as modifier )

      liqueur glass

2. a small hollow chocolate sweet containing liqueur

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Etymology

Origin of liqueur

From French, dating back to 1735–45; liquor

Example Sentences

It isn’t quite brat—more akin to the Yellow Chartreuse liqueur.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The WeHo bar is complete with endless photo ops, including life-size cutouts and large-scale holiday-themed portraiture of the “Obsessed” singer, as well as cocktails featuring her own liqueur company, Black Irish.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

Once described by comedian John Hodgeman as tasting of “pencil shavings and heartbreak,” Jeppson’s Malört is a polarizing wormwood and anise-flavored liqueur that’s kind of a secret handshake among Chicagoans.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2024

“There is a liqueur in southern Germany called gentian schnapps that contains an extract of that plant,” says Maik Behrens, a molecular biologist at the Technical University of Munich and co-author of the new study.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 12, 2023

This was like the light in Chartreuse liqueur, like the green flash, and I kept wondering, How did I escape?

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• alcoholic beverage
• brandy