# liquor

Pronunciation: US say "LIK-er" /ˈlɪk.ɚ/; UK say "LIK-uh" /ˈlɪk.ə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. Strong alcohol produced by distilling a fermented liquid; in a wider sense, any drink containing alcohol. *(Australia, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Strong drink with a lot of alcohol in it, or sometimes any drink with alcohol.
   - _He never touches liquor, but he'll have a glass of wine with dinner._
   - _The hotel bar stocks dozens of imported liquors behind the counter._
2. The liquid produced by cooking meat, vegetables, or both.
   - Simple: The liquid left after you cook meat or vegetables.
   - _Strain the liquor from the braised beef and boil it down into a sauce._
   - _The collards simmered for hours, and the liquor at the bottom of the pot was the best part._
3. A liquid in which something has been left to soak.
   - Simple: The liquid that something has been soaking in.
   - _Add the dried mushrooms to the pan along with their soaking liquor._
   - _Tea tasters judge the color of the liquor as well as its flavor._
6. A sauce made with parsley that is the classic accompaniment to pie and mash. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A green parsley sauce that people in Britain eat with pie and mashed potatoes.
   - _The old pie shop still makes its liquor fresh every morning._
   - _She ordered two pies and mash with extra liquor._
7. In process industries, a liquid in which a desired reaction takes place, such as the pulping liquor that breaks wood down so its cellulose can be extracted.
   - Simple: In some factories, a liquid where a needed chemical change happens, such as one that breaks down wood.
   - _The mill recovers the chemicals from its used pulping liquor and sends them back into the process._
   - _Engineers watch the temperature of the liquors in every tank to keep the reaction on track._

## Verb

4. To consume alcoholic drink, typically to the point of drinking too much.
   - Simple: To drink strong alcohol, usually too much of it.
   - _Fans liquor up in the parking lot for hours before kickoff._
   - _Half the wedding guests had liquored up before the toasts even started._
5. To ply someone with alcohol, typically until they have drunk too much.
   - Simple: To give someone a lot of alcohol to drink, usually too much.
   - _The con man liked to liquor his marks up before asking them for money._
   - _They liquored him up and then talked him into signing the contract._

## Noun

8. Any liquid fit for drinking. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Any liquid that you can drink.
   - _The travelers carried no liquor but the spring water in their flasks._
   - _Buttermilk and cold tea were the only liquors served to the harvest workers._
9. A liquid or fluid of any kind. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A liquid of any kind.
   - _The jar held a cloudy yellow liquor that smelled of vinegar._
   - _The apothecary strained the dark liquor through a linen cloth into a glass vial._

## Verb

10. To grease something. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To put grease on something.
   - _Before winter she liquors her work boots to keep the water out._
   - _Millers had to liquor the wooden gears often, or the whole mill would groan._

## Origin

From Middle English licour, from Anglo-Norman licour, from Latin liquor ("fluidity, liquidness, a fluid, a liquid"), from liquere ("to be fluid or liquid"); see liquid. It is a doublet of liqueur.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/liquor (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).