liquor
liquor Lexical Profile
liquor Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A distilled alcoholic beverage, such as whiskey, vodka, or rum, as opposed to a fermented one like beer or wine.
"The bartender stocked the top shelf with premium liquor from around the world."
A liquid substance, particularly the liquid in which food has been cooked or a solution used in industrial processes.
"After boiling the vegetables, save the pot liquor to use as a base for tomorrow's soup."
• verb
To supply someone heavily with alcoholic drinks, usually to intoxicate them (often used with 'up').
"The hosts tried to liquor him up before asking for the favor."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'liquor' is the standard term for distilled alcoholic beverages, whereas British English often prefers 'spirits' and frequently uses 'liquor' to refer to a liquid produced in cooking or brewing.
• Rhymes for liquor
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old French 'licour', derived from Latin 'liquor' (fluidity, liquid), from 'liquere' (to be fluid). The meaning narrowed specifically to intoxicating alcoholic drinks by the 16th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.