rum

¹ American  

[ruhm] / rʌm /

noun

1. an alcoholic liquor or spirit distilled from molasses or some other fermented sugar-cane product.

2. alcoholic drink in general; intoxicating liquor.

   He warned against the demon rum.

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rum ² American  

[ruhm] / rʌm /

adjective

Chiefly British Informal.

1. odd, strange, or queer.

   a rum fellow.

2. problematic; difficult; bad.

   a rum situation.

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rum ³ American  

[ruhm] / rʌm /

noun

Cards.

1. rummy.

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Rum ⁴ American  

[room] / rum /

noun

1. Arabic name of Rome, once used to designate the Byzantine Empire.

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Rum. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Rumania. See Romania.

2. Rumanian. See Romanian. Also Rum

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rum ¹ British  

/ rʌm /

noun

1. spirit made from sugar cane, either coloured brownish-red by the addition of caramel or by maturation in oak containers, or left white

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rum ² British  

/ rʌm /

adjective

1. slang strange; peculiar; odd

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rum ³ British  

/ rʌm /

noun

1. short for rummy 1

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Other Word Forms

• rumless adjective
• rumly adverb
• rumness noun

Etymology

Origin of rum¹

First recorded in 1645–55; perhaps short for obsolete rumbullion, rumbustion, of obscure origin

Origin of rum²

First recorded in 1750–60; earlier rome, room “great,” of uncertain origin; perhaps from Romani; Rom

Origin of rum³

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; by shortening

Example Sentences

My wife wasn’t too thrilled with the golden rum cake, since it’s nothing like the dense dark rum cake she grew up with, but I loved it!

From Salon

It says a cargo ship carrying rum and olive oil from Europe to Central America is about to set sail - and it needs a cook.

From BBC

Dancers in bright costumes filled the streets as music filled the air, while rows of stalls offered fragrant jerk chicken, curry goat and rum punch cocktails.

From BBC

Their exports include many niche products like specialist rums and indigenous foods such as ackee, a fruit from Jamaica.

From BBC

That question is at the centre of a dispute that is continuing to rumble on the Caribbean island, as some producers wish to strengthen rules on what can, and cannot, be called "Jamaica rum".

From BBC