liquor

American  

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

noun

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

• antiliquor adjective
• liquory adjective

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

Raised by Wolves in San Diego sits behind a liquor store, accessible via a rotating seating area.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Fellow Louisville liquor company Sazerac recently approached Brown-Forman about a potential deal External link, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

In my loft, everything catches her eye: books, art, pictures, CDs, liquor cabinet, furniture, the colors of the walls.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

The company also struggled selling the Chinese liquor baiju, with sales in the country collapsing by 42.3%, which offset what the company said was a strong performance in Europe, Latin America and Caribbean and Africa.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

My mother used to say that when men get old they think anything that smells bad can kill germs better than soap and hot water, so they either bathe in liquor or cologne.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• alcohol
• booze
• whiskey