sambuca

¹

[sam-byoo-kuh]

noun

1. Also sambuke an ancient stringed musical instrument used in Greece and the Middle East.

2. a medieval hurdy-gurdy.

sambuca

²

[sam-boo-kuh, sahm-boo-kah]

noun

1. a licorice-flavored Italian liqueur made from elderberries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sambuca¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English sambuke, from Latin sambūca, from Greek sambȳ́kē, perhaps from Semitic; compare Aramaic sabbəkhā

Origin of sambuca²

First recorded in 1970–75; from Italian, feminine derivative of sambuco “elder (tree),” from Latin sa(m)būcus

Example Sentences

One of the first drinks I had was a whisky and lemonade, but I would drink beer, Baileys, sambuca and vodka.

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At the end of the evening, Veca, who has taken over the bar, offered small glasses of sambuca to those who weren’t quite ready to call it a night.

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Renowned grappa producer Poli Distillerie stopped making its smooth, elegant sambuca, which tastes like fresh fennel, in the 1980s, but recently brought it back due to the surge in demand.

Read more on Salon

You can see evidence today of the popularity of anise spirits in Lebanese arak, Turkish raki, Greek ouzo, Italian sambuca and, of course, the French pastis.

Read more on New York Times

State of Grace, by Miranda Sawyer After a bottle of wine and several shots of sambuca, Sawyer, who delivers a typically brilliant profile, gets much more than she bargained for from Jones.

Read more on The Guardian