liquor

American  

[lik-er, lik-wawr] / ˈlɪk ər, ˈlɪk wɔr /

noun

liquors plural

1. a distilled or spirituous beverage, as brandy or whiskey, as distinguished from a fermented beverage, as wine or beer.

2. any liquid substance, as broth from cooked meats or vegetables.

   Synonyms:

   juice

3. Pharmacology. solution.

4. a solution of a substance, especially a concentrated one used in the industrial arts.

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verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to furnish or ply with liquor to drink (often followed byup ).

verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to drink large quantities of liquor (often followed byup ).

liquor British  

/ ˈlɪkə /

noun

1. any alcoholic drink, esp spirits, or such drinks collectively

2. any liquid substance, esp that in which food has been cooked

3. pharmacol a solution of a pure substance in water

4. brewing warm water added to malt to form wort

5. drunk; intoxicated

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verb

1. brewing to steep (malt) in warm water to form wort; mash

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiliquor
  adjective
• liquory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• liquors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of liquor

1175–1225; < Latin: a liquid, originally liquidity ( liqu ( ēre ) to be liquid + -or -or ¹ ); replacing Middle English lic ( o ) ur < Old French ( French liqueur ) < Latin liquōrem, accusative of liquor

Example Sentences

Alberta and Saskatchewan have a fully privatised liquor retail system.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

White liquor is an alkaline chemical containing sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Bradley got work dancing at Connie’s Inn, the exclusive Harlem black-and-tan club where the draw for white patrons was bootleg liquor and black entertainers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Across the roughly 430-acre campus south of Louisville, warehouses are jam-packed with barrels full of dark-brown liquor that may not have buyers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

When the jar hit him and shattered, his fluttering shroud soaked up the liquor, and the dervish was taken, like the enemies of Shadrach, with a sudden burst.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• alcohol
• booze
• whiskey