# whiskey

Pronunciation: US say "WIS-kee" /ˈwɪski/; UK

## Noun

1. A distilled liquor produced from grain, such as barley, corn, or rye, that has first been mashed and fermented. *(England, Ireland, US)*
   - Simple: A strong alcoholic drink made from grain such as barley, corn, or rye.
   - _The distillery ages its whiskey in charred oak barrels for at least four years._
   - _He savored a smoky whiskey beside the fire after the long hike._
2. A drink or single serving of whiskey, as poured into a glass. *(England, Ireland, US)*
   - Simple: One glass or serving of whiskey.
   - _After the long shift, the crew gathered for a quiet whiskey._
   - _Can I pour you a whiskey before dinner?_
3. Alternative letter-case form of Whiskey from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
   - Simple: Another way to write Whiskey from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. Radio users say it for the letter W.
   - _The pilot read his call sign back as whiskey-seven-four to the tower._
   - _He spelled the suffix aloud, ending with whiskey for the final W._
4. A light carriage, such as a gig, made to be pulled by a single horse.
   - Simple: A small, light carriage pulled by a single horse.
   - _The young squire drove his whiskey briskly down the country lane._
   - _A single horse drew the whiskey along the dusty road to market._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–3** — Whiskey comes from English 'usquebaugh', a shortening of 'usque', which came from Irish 'uisce beatha' (also Scottish Gaelic 'uisge-beatha'), a calque of Medieval Latin 'aqua vītae' meaning 'water of life'. Related words from the same source include akvavit, aqua vitae, and eau de vie.
**Meaning 4** — Formed from 'whisk' combined with the suffix '-ey'.

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