an alcoholic liquor or spirit distilled from molasses or some other fermented sugar-cane product.
alcoholic drink in general; intoxicating liquor.
He warned against the demon rum.
odd, strange, or queer.
a rum fellow.
problematic; difficult; bad.
a rum situation.
First recorded in 1645–55; perhaps short for obsolete rumbullion, rumbustion, of obscure origin
First recorded in 1750–60; earlier rome, room “great,” of uncertain origin; perhaps from Romani; see Rom
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; by shortening
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sazerac, whose brands include Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Buffalo Trace bourbon and Parrot Bay rum, initially connected with 818 when the brand did a collaboration with its Traveller Whiskey, created by country singer Chris Stapleton.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Afterward, thousands of giddy fans thronged the malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade, laughing and drinking rum.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
The Browns had a hand in everything from ironmaking and rum distilling to whaling and the slave trade.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
The easiest way to make a non-boozy Piña Colada is to take out the rum.
From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026
But they had to get Grandma down I rum the plane, and getting her out was twice the job of getting her in.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
