raki

Or ra·kee

[rah-kee, ruh-, rak-ee, rah-kee]

noun

1. a spirituous liquor distilled from grain, grapes, plums, etc., in southeastern Europe and western Asia.

raki

/ ˈrækɪ, rɑːˈkiː /

noun

1. a strong spirit distilled in Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, etc, from grain, usually flavoured with aniseed or other aromatics

Word History and Origins

Origin of raki¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Ottoman Turkish raqi (Turkish raki ) “spirits, brandy,” from Arabic ʿaraqī, equivalent to ʿaraq arrack + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of raki¹

C17: from Turkish rāqī

Example Sentences

The raki was a special liquor they made from fermented fruits like plums or mulberries with spicy additives like juniper or anise, that smelled, to me, like licorice and turpentine.

Read more on Literature

“Maybe one bag of cherry paste and one jar of raki.”

Read more on Literature

“We’ll take it,” I said, shoving the sack of gunpowder into the merchant’s hand and grabbing a single bag of cherry paste and a jar of raki.

Read more on Literature

I held the cherry paste and the raki in one hand, and the loose gunpowder in another.

Read more on Literature

I had to stuff the jar of raki and the packet of cherry paste under the bundles of wool on the pack mule in order to yank on Rostam’s harness with both hands.

Read more on Literature