Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A kind of light gig or one-horse chaise. Sometimes called tim-whisky.
  • noun An ardent spirit, distilled chiefly from grain.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An intoxicating liquor distilled from grain, potatoes, etc., especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In the United States, whisky is generally distilled from maize, rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland it is often made from malted barley.
  • noun corn whisky made in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
  • noun See under Crooked.
  • noun (Zoöl.) the Canada jay (Perisoreus Canadensis). It is noted for its fearless and familiar habits when it frequents the camps of lumbermen in the winter season. Its color is dull grayish blue, lighter beneath. Called also moose bird.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An alcoholic liquor distilled from fermented grain and usually aged in in oak barrels
  • noun A drink of this liquor.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a liquor made from fermented mash of grain

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Early 18th century. Variant of usque, abbreviation of usquebaugh (compare obsolete whiskybae). From Scottish Gaelic uisge-beatha and Irish uisce beatha ("water of life"). Compare aquavit, from Latin aqua vitae ("water of life").

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Examples

  • _ -- Under the term whisky will here be included all of those stronger alcoholic beverages that are the product of distillation.

    Health on the Farm A Manual of Rural Sanitation and Hygiene 1896

  • May I add that the Belgians, the Bretons, the Corsicans, the Welsh and the Spaniards always use the term whisky, and not whiskey, for their own versions of the drink.

    The Pour 2009

  • Rejectionist, your whisky is here on my bookshelf.

    Little Kids Can Write Books Better Than You 2009

  • First you get to go on a BARREL RIDE where a ghost tells you all about how whisky is made. it is very complicated and involves squishing a lot of barley together to make a fermented mash, and then adding yeast and doing lots of distilling.

    Whisky lili 2009

  • This indicates whether the whisky is full-bodied or light-bodied.

    Whisky lili 2009

  • This indicates whether the whisky is full-bodied or light-bodied.

    Archive 2009-09-01 lili 2009

  • They say this evaporated whisky is for the angels.

    Archive 2009-09-01 lili 2009

  • Bloomberg News Bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky pass along the production line at a Diageo factory in Glasgow, Scotland.

    Diageo's Profit Rises 17% Simon Zekaria 2011

  • They say this evaporated whisky is for the angels.

    Whisky lili 2009

  • First you get to go on a BARREL RIDE where a ghost tells you all about how whisky is made. it is very complicated and involves squishing a lot of barley together to make a fermented mash, and then adding yeast and doing lots of distilling.

    Archive 2009-09-01 lili 2009

Comments

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  • See shay.

    October 22, 2008

  • See whiskey.

    Edit: for the liquor, both -y and -ey spelling is acceptable.

    October 22, 2008

  • Unless you're talking about a shay. Then don't see whiskey. :-) The nickname comes from people "whisking" around in the light carriage.

    October 22, 2008

  • See the booze news.

    October 22, 2008