moonshine

American  

[moon-shahyn] / ˈmunˌʃaɪn /

noun

1. Informal. smuggled or illicitly distilled liquor, especially corn liquor as illicitly distilled chiefly in rural areas of the southern U.S.

2. empty or foolish talk, ideas, etc.; nonsense.

3. the light of the moon; moonlight.

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moonshine British  

/ ˈmuːnˌʃaɪn /

noun

1. another word for moonlight

2. illegally distilled or smuggled whisky or other spirit

3. foolish talk or thought

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Etymology

Origin of moonshine

1375–1425; late Middle English: moonlight. See moon, shine ¹,

Explanation

Moonshine is the glowing light that comes from the moon, and it's also a common term meaning "homemade liquor." In an old-timey bluegrass song, a character might drink moonshine in the moonshine. While moonshine can simply be a synonym for moonlight, it's often used as slang for bootleg (or illicit) whiskey, as well as a colorful way to say "nonsense." For example, you could say, "I listened to her speech, but I finally decided everything she said was nothing but moonshine." This "without substance" meaning is actually the oldest figurative definition of moonshine, dating from the fifteenth century.

Example Sentences

In math, Ono is known for his work on a range of topics across number theory, from Ramanujan’s congruences to the umbral moonshine conjecture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

In other words, what’s on tap here is gonzo cinema moonshine, distilled from the corny legacy of every loopy genius from Buster Keaton and Tex Avery to Mel Brooks and George Miller.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2024

The beverage — which, as reported by Ian Douglass at Mel Magazine, borrows its name from a common term for Appalachian moonshine — tends to be culturally derided as lowbrow or gamer fuel.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2023

The letters showed that Navalny asked for an eclectic range of items, including, variously, a bottle of moonshine, a balalaika, a staff, two pouches of cheap tobacco, a kimono and a black belt.

From Reuters • Jun. 2, 2023

There was much moonshine; and as I looked I could see Quincey Morris run across the lawn and hide himself in the shadow of a great yew-tree.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker