1
capitalized
: a member of a French family founded in 1272 to which belong the rulers of France from 1589 to 1793 and from 1814 to 1830, of Spain from 1700 to 1808, from 1814 to 1868, from 1875 to 1931, and from 1975, of Naples from 1735 to 1805, and of the Two Sicilies from 1815 to 1860
2
: a rose (Rosa borboniana) of upright growth with shining leaves, prickly branches, and clustered large flowers
3
: a whiskey distilled from a mash made up of not less than 51 percent corn plus malt and rye compare corn whiskey
4
often capitalized
: a person who clings obstinately to old social and political ideas
specifically
: an extremely conservative member of the U.S. Democratic party usually from the South
Examples of bourbon in a Sentence
I prefer bourbon to Scotch.
Recent Examples on the Web
Samples of the bourbon will be available at Findlay Market’s Night Market on July 20, which is a free outdoor event in which market vendors stay open from 5 to 9 p.m. instead of their standard daytime hours.
—
Killian Baarlaer, The Enquirer, 3 July 2024
Nearly a year ago, Great Jones Distilling Co. in Manhattan released a trio of bourbons in bottles that were designed to commemorate the late, great New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 3 July 2024
Glenn McCarthy, a poor wildcatter, became Diamond Glenn, the owner of newspapers, a radio station, a major hotel, and a chemical company, and the creator of a brand of bourbon.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 3 July 2024
This refreshing recipe is spiked with bourbon (or lemon flavored-vodka, if that's your preference) to beat the Southern heat.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bourbon 
Killian Baarlaer, The Enquirer, 3 July 2024
Nearly a year ago, Great Jones Distilling Co. in Manhattan released a trio of bourbons in bottles that were designed to commemorate the late, great New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 3 July 2024
Glenn McCarthy, a poor wildcatter, became Diamond Glenn, the owner of newspapers, a radio station, a major hotel, and a chemical company, and the creator of a brand of bourbon.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 3 July 2024
This refreshing recipe is spiked with bourbon (or lemon flavored-vodka, if that's your preference) to beat the Southern heat.
—Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 30 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for bourbon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bourbon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bourbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bourbon. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationBiographical Definition
Bourbon
biographical name
Bour·bon
ˈbu̇r-bən 
bu̇r-ˈbōⁿ
Charles de 1490–1527 Duc de Bourbon French general; constable of France
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