tequila
[tuh-kee-luh]
- a strong liquor from Mexico, distilled from fermented mash of an agave.
- the plant itself, Agave tequilana.
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Origin of tequila
First recorded in 1840–50; after Tequila, a town in Jalisco, Mexico, a center for its production
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for tequila
Contemporary Examples
This fancy spice pack pairs with four different spirits—vodka, tequila, aquavit, and gin—to ensure the perfect morning pick-me-up.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your LifeAllison McNearney
November 29, 2014
Per Santa Muerte tradition, devotees offer apples, cigarettes, and bottles of tequila.
There is reason to believe that climate change is directly threatening your supply of tequila.
Happy National Tequila Day! Here’s How Climate Change Is Murdering Your TequilaAsawin Suebsaeng
July 24, 2014
There you have it: Global warming is trying to kill your tequila buzz.
Happy National Tequila Day! Here’s How Climate Change Is Murdering Your TequilaAsawin Suebsaeng
July 24, 2014
In other words, it has gone from a miniscule category to a pretty small category when compared to bourbon, tequila, rum or vodka.
Historical Examples
He hadn't had a tequila in a long time, and he thought he owed it to himself.
Out Like a LightGordon Randall Garrett
Tequila was the only concession the Nuevo Mexico Bar made to its name.
Medal of HonorDallas McCord Reynolds
It is not wine he is drinking, but the whisky of Tequila, distilled from the wild maguey.
The Lone RancheCaptain Mayne Reid
He had a glass of tequila in one hand, the salted half of a lemon in the other.
At the PostHorace Leonard Gold
They had brought something else too: a bottle of milky liquor that Tom claimed was tequila.
Beginners LuckEmily Hahn
tequila
- a spirit that is distilled in Mexico from an agave plant and forms the basis of many mixed drinks
- the plant, Agave tequilana, from which this drink is made
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Word Origin
C19: from Mexican Spanish, from Tequila, region of Mexico
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for tequila
n.
1849, from American Spanish tequila, from Tequila, name of a district in central Mexico noted for the fine quality of its tequila. Tequila sunrise is attested by 1965.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper