bitters
bitters Lexical Profile
bitters Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An alcoholic liquid strongly flavored with bitter herbs, roots, bark, or fruit rinds, used in small quantities as a flavoring in cocktails or as a digestive tonic.
"The bartender added two dashes of aromatic bitters to the sugar cube before pouring in the whiskey."
British Glasses or varieties of bitter, a traditional British pale ale heavily hopped to produce a dry, sharp taste.
"The pub prides itself on serving several locally brewed bitters on cask."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the concentrated botanical flavoring used in cocktails, 'bitters' is a plural-form noun that can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether it is viewed as a single substance or a collection of drops or varieties.
• Rhymes for bitters
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the plural of the noun use of 'bitter' (from Old English 'biter', meaning sharp or cutting), originally referring in the early 18th century to medicinal herbal infusions before evolving into a staple cocktail flavoring.