bourbon

noun

bour·​bon ˈbu̇r-bən 

ˈbȯr-;

usually

ˈbər- 

in sense 3

1

Bourbon : 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 Bourbon : 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

bourbonism

ˈbu̇r-bə-ˌni-zəm 

ˈbȯr-

noun

often Bourbonism

Examples of bourbon in a Sentence

I prefer bourbon to Scotch.

Recent Examples on the Web

An email to the Plank Road Tap Room led to selling charcuterie at the rural Elgin establishment’s bingo nights and bourbon tasting events. —Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026

Other things to do beyond the race include bourbon distillery tours and tastings in Louisville and Lexington, visiting the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, and checking out the area’s emerging dining scene. —Essence, 2 Jan. 2026

Brown-Forman is the company behind bourbon brands such as Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester and el Jimador tequila. —Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 31 Dec. 2025

Make Healthy Ingredient Swaps Standard eggnog is made with whole milk, whole eggs (including the yolks), heavy cream, white sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and optional alcohol (typically rum, brandy, or bourbon). —Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) after the lordship of Bourbon in central France, where the family originated; (sense 2) after French rose de Bourbon, after the Île Bourbon (now réunion), where the rose likely originated; (sense 3) probably after Bourbon County, Kentucky, or its pre-statehood predecessor, a county of Virginia that included much of northeastern Kentucky; (sense 4) after the association of the Bourbon dynasty with conservative royalist politics in France

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bourbon

• turban
• interurban
• suburban

Biographical Definition

Bourbon

biographical name

Bour·​bon ˈbu̇r-bən 

bu̇r-ˈbōⁿ

Charles de 1490–1527 Duc de Bourbon French general; constable of France