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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.


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

"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

verb

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Portable cans of premixed drinks are more convenient for these occasions than the large bottles of liquor needed to make cocktails from scratch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

McGee came up in San Francisco’s graffiti scene in the 1980s, developing a visual language under the moniker Twist that included faces, liquor bottles and stylized screws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Most Canadian provinces have also stopped selling US liquor.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

And it’s all thanks to the country’s archaic liquor laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

She was not there, but in a corner sat Russell, the young man who had been campaigning around the village, begging the Eskimos to vote “No” on requests for liquor licenses by the local restaurants.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

The company on Tuesday kicked off a promotional campaign for Sarti Rosa, a relatively recent entry to its portfolio of liquors designed to be turned into spritzes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Pepper-infused liquors have become hot ingredients in everything from martinis to mules.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 29, 2024

Of course, different bitters pair well with different liquors and flavors.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2023

Those factors drive the price of the resulting beverage up: a bottle of El Ladrón Yolo sells for $90, while Venus Spirits’ liquors made from Mexican agave go for $42-$68.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 10, 2023

Cal led his brother across the street to Berges and Garrisiere, who imported fine wines and liquors.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

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