whisky

American

[hwis-kee, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs ki, ˈwɪs- /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

whiskies

plural

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.

Trivia, whisky tastings, casino games and pickleball went on as usual.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

President Trump made a further intervention when he chose to lift import tariffs on whisky in honour of the King and Queen, who made a state visit to the US.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Tougher whisky tariffs were scheduled to be brought in by the US this summer and it's not clear if these have now been scrapped, although the industry is hopeful.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Tariffs on Scotch whisky from the U.K. are 10% and were set to increase to 25% in June.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

He would have sneered, then, at the upholstered period chairs, the looped drapes, the men and women cut from a glossy whisky ad.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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