liquor

[lik-er, lik-wawr]

noun

1. a distilled or spirituous beverage, as brandy or whiskey, as distinguished from a fermented beverage, as wine or beer.

2. any liquid substance, as broth from cooked meats or vegetables.

   Synonyms: juice

3. Pharmacology.,  solution.

4. a solution of a substance, especially a concentrated one used in the industrial arts.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal.,  to furnish or ply with liquor to drink (often followed byup ).

verb (used without object)

1. Informal.,  to drink large quantities of liquor (often followed byup ).

liquor

/ ˈlɪkə /

noun

1. any alcoholic drink, esp spirits, or such drinks collectively

2. any liquid substance, esp that in which food has been cooked

3. pharmacol a solution of a pure substance in water

4. brewing warm water added to malt to form wort

5. drunk; intoxicated

verb

1. brewing to steep (malt) in warm water to form wort; mash

Other Word Forms

• liquory adjective
• antiliquor adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of liquor¹

1175–1225; < Latin: a liquid, originally liquidity ( liqu ( ēre ) to be liquid + -or -or ¹ ); replacing Middle English lic ( o ) ur < Old French ( French liqueur ) < Latin liquōrem, accusative of liquor

Word History and Origins

Origin of liquor¹

C13: via Old French from Latin, from liquēre to be liquid

Example Sentences

His partner, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, had worked the night before as a cashier at a liquor store.

From Los Angeles Times

They drink copious amounts of liquor on friend trips to the Jersey shore, brown out and start calling their good friend’s brutalist bowling alley club a terrible idea.

From Salon

After the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles last year, Beijing came up with retaliatory duties on European liquor.

From BBC

Visitors to Laos are advised by the Foreign Office to buy drinks only at licensed bars, hotels and liquor stores and to check labels on bottles for poor-quality printing or incorrect spelling.

From BBC

Dug sits upright on the limo’s black Corinthian leather seat, flanked by crystal liquor decanters on one side and a TV and VCR on the other.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alcohol 
• booze 
• whiskey