cognac

noun

co·​gnac ˈkōn-ˌyak 

also ˈkȯn-

or ˈkän-

variants often Cognac

: a brandy from the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime distilled from white wine

Examples of cognac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kravitz cinched in her waist by accessorizing with a matching skinny leather belt, and added a pair of cognac brown leather loafers. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026

Effervescence mixed with cognac, spinning serotonin. —Kortney Morrow, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026

Grounding earth tones was a favorite palette of the season, especially in shades of brown, cognac and walnut, punctuated by reds and burgundies. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026

The outgoing creative directors of Oscar de la Renta—and a guest list including Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Jamie Chung, Sai De Silva, and more—toasted to new beginnings over cognac and a traditional feast Kim prepared herself. —Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 12 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Cognac, France

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cognac

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

cognac

noun

co·​gnac ˈkōn-ˌyak 

often capitalized

: a French brandy

Etymology

named for Cognac, town in France in and near which it is made