whiskey
n. C / Un. a strong alcoholic drink made from grains like corn, rye, or barley. It is usually aged in wooden barrels, which gives it a dark color and a smoky taste.
n. a distilled alcoholic beverage produced from a fermented mash of cereal grains. Often aged in charred oak casks to develop complex flavor profiles and amber coloration.
He ordered a glass of whiskey with ice.
The distillery produces several varieties of whiskey using traditional methods and local spring water.
Connoisseurs often debate the subtle differences between single malt and blended whiskey, focusing on the influence of peat smoke and the specific type of wood used for maturation.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥der. Proto-Celtic *udenskyos Old Irish uisce Irish uisce Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós Proto-Celtic *biwos Proto-Celtic *-tūts Proto-Celtic *biwotūts Old Irish bethu Irish beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Irish uisce beathabor. ▲ Old Irish uisce Scottish Gaelic uisge ▲ Old Irish bethu Scottish Gaelic beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Scottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor. English usquebaugh English usque English whiskey Variant of usque, abbreviation of usquebaugh, from Irish uisce beatha, calque of Medieval Latin aqua vītae (“water of life”). Compare akvavit, aquavit, aqua vitae, eau de vie, and water of life from the same source and vodka from a Russian diminutive for water in reference to the dilution of pure grain spirits.
From whisk + -ey.
Uncountable when referring to the liquid in general; countable when referring to a specific glass or a particular variety.