raki

or ra·kee

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

/ rɑˈki, rə-, ˈræk i, ˈrɑ ki /

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noun

a spirituous liquor distilled from grain, grapes, plums, etc., in southeastern Europe and the Near East.

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Origin of raki

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

Words nearby raki

rake-off, rake over the coals, raker, raker tooth, rake up, raki, raking, raking bond, raking cornice, raking course, raking piece

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use raki in a sentence

“My sales have dropped by 90 percent,” said Nurettin, the owner of a store filled with wine, beer, Raki and whisky.
With New Turkish Liquor Ban, Raki Goes Underground|Thomas Seibert|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The servants were clearing away the coffee and the raki, and bearing off the open and half-emptied cigar-boxes.
The Nabob|Alphonse Daudet
His drink is water, and now and then an intoxicating draught of bad raki or sour country wine.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell
They then diluted the mass of fruit with raki, or peach brandy, and struggled home or to sleep as best they could.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell

Directly these were brought, his Majesty ordered raki to be served to them in company with Bekri.
Told in the Coffee House|Cyrus Adler
Raki is a colourless spirit, extracted from the skins of grapes after the wine-making.
Albania|E. F. Knight

British Dictionary definitions for raki

raki

rakee

/ (rɑːˈkiː, ˈrækɪ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for raki

C17: from Turkish rāqī

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