brandies

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of brandy.

   The cellar held dozens of brandies aged in oak casks.

   Fine brandies were poured into warmed glasses after dinner.

   Note

   A plural that exists only because brandy can be counted. As a substance it is a mass noun: a bottle of brandy, never a bottle of brandies. So the plural names either kinds or servings. A region's brandies are its varieties, while two brandies at a bar are two glasses. The same spelling also serves the verb for preserving in brandy, where an object follows.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of brandy.

   The chef brandies the cherries before folding them into the batter.

   Each fall she brandies a batch of pears to store for winter.

   Note

   The verb is transitive, so this form always has something to act on. A cook brandies cherries, pears or a sauce, whether to preserve them, to flavor them or simply to mix the spirit in. When nothing follows as an object, the same spelling is almost always the plural of the drink instead.

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