whiskey

1 of 2

noun

whis·​key ˈ(h)wi-skē How to pronounce whiskey (audio)
variants or whisky
plural whiskeys or whiskies
1
: a liquor distilled from fermented wort (such as that obtained from rye, corn, or barley mash)
2
: a drink of whiskey

Whiskey

2 of 2

communications code word

used as a code word for the letter w

Examples of whiskey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The two pick up a mysterious and dangerous woman (Fox) and as the miles tick by, love begins to bloom, bullets fly, and Arthur tries to convince his grandson to carry on the family whiskey business. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2024 Over the last decade, the distillery has earned an outstanding reputation for the quality of its world-class American single malt whiskeys. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024 Compare that to whiskey in the United States, where revenue totaled $19 billion in the same year. Clara Wang, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2024 Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Vodka The Irish make great whiskey and gin, but at least one distillery is also distilling some vodka worth trying. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whiskey 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whiskey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Irish uisce beatha & Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha, literally, water of life

First Known Use

Noun

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whiskey was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near whiskey

Cite this Entry

“Whiskey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiskey. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

whiskey

noun
whis·​key
variants or whisky
ˈhwis-kē How to pronounce whiskey (audio)
ˈwis-
plural whiskeys or whiskies
: an alcoholic liquor made from grain (as rye, corn, or barley)
Etymology

Noun

from uisce beatha, a phrase in Irish (the ancient language of Ireland) and isuge beatha, a phrase in Scottish Gaelic (the ancient language of Scotland), both meaning literally "water of life"

Medical Definition

whiskey

noun
whis·​key
variants or whisky
plural whiskeys or whiskies
: a liquor that is distilled from the fermented mash of grain (as rye, corn, or barley) and was formerly used medicinally as a sedative and vasodilator

More from Merriam-Webster on whiskey

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