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,

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

One of Samar’s most distinct creations, Speakeasy, was inspired by 1920s underground queer bars and the illicit moonshine that fueled the Prohibition era.

From Los Angeles Times

The parallels with early 20th century Prohibition in America – gangsters, feminists, minorities, corruption, doctor’s notes, speakeasies and moonshine – are strikingly similar.

From Salon

As she sings in "American Requiem" against reverberating acoustic guitar and piercing vocals, she is the "grandbaby of a moonshine man" in Gadsden, Alabama.

From Salon

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