rum
rum Lexical Profile
rum Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An alcoholic liquor distilled from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses or sugarcane juice.
"The island nation's economy relies heavily on the export of premium aged rum."
A specific drink, serving, or brand of rum.
"The bartender poured two dark rums over ice for the patrons at the corner table."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective meaning 'odd' or 'peculiar', 'rum' is chiefly British and somewhat archaic; globally, it is almost exclusively recognized as a noun referring to the sugarcane-based liquor.
• Rhymes for rum
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun is likely a mid-17th-century abbreviation of 'rumbullion'. The adjective originates from 16th-century rogues' cant, initially meaning 'excellent' or 'fine' before reversing its meaning to 'odd' or 'spurious' in the 18th century.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.