ratafia

[ rat-uh-fee-uh ]

/ ˌræt əˈfi ə /

noun

a sweet liqueur made from wine or grape juice combined with brandy or other spirits and often flavored with almonds, fruit, or fruit kernels.

Nearby words

rat-tat, rat-trap, rata, ratable, ratable value, ratafia, ratafia biscuit, ratak chain, ratal, ratan, ratana

Also rat·a·fee

[rat-uh-fee] /ˌræt əˈfi/.

Origin of ratafia

Borrowed into English from French around 1690–1700

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ratafia

When nearly cold cover the top with ratafia biscuits and decorate with angelica and cherries.
The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book|Thomas R. Allinson
Mix them with the flour and sugar and then very, very carefully add a few drops of ratafia.
My Pet Recipes, Tried and True|Various
From their replies, the Emperor suspected that it was ratafia; but he would not have sworn to it.
The Fte At Coqueville|Emile Zola
The king was one day hunting, and found himself at the Neuilly Bridge; being thirsty, he wanted a glass of ratafia.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete|Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

In the Ratafia cherry several flower-peduncles arise from a common peduncle, upwards of an inch in length.
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Vol. I.|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for ratafia

ratafia

ratafee (ˌrætəˈfiː)

/ (ˌrætəˈfɪə) /

noun

any liqueur made from fruit or from brandy with added fruit

a flavouring essence made from almonds

Also called: ratafia biscuit mainly British a small macaroon flavoured with almonds

Word Origin for ratafia

C17: from West Indian Creole French

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