whisky

American

[hwis-kee, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs ki, ˈwɪs- /

noun

plural

whiskies

whiskey (used especially for Scotch or Canadian whiskey).

whisky British

/ ˈwɪskɪ /

noun

a spirit made by distilling fermented cereals, which is matured and often blended

"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

Etymology

Origin of whisky

C18: shortened from whiskybae, from Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, literally: water of life; see _usquebaugh

Vocabulary lists containing whisky

"My Papa's Waltz"

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One time, he stood at the open door of a DC-3 plane to capture a case of whisky being dropped on the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro for a Canadian Club ad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

London-based drinks group Diageo, maker of Smirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whisky, is eyeing a greater share of the mass-market segment, threatening Campari’s own brands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

He read news articles about the “Dear Leader” drinking expensive whisky during North Korea’s massive famine in the late 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Scotch whisky exports fell by less than 1% last year to £4.36bn, while the total volume exported was down by 4.3% on 2024.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Most ordinary whisky drinkers are “brand” chumps like this.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023