Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Strong liquor, especially whiskey.

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

  • noun High proof alcohol, especially whiskey (especially in the context of its sale to or consumption by Native Americans).
  • noun High temperature hydraulic condensate discharged from industrial boilers.

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

  • noun any strong spirits (such as strong whisky or rum)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Translation of Ojibwa ishkodewaaboo, whiskey.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

fire +‎ water, a calque of Ojibwe ishkodewaaboo ("alcohol"), from ishkode ("fire") + aaboo ("liquid”, glossed in older works as “water").

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