whiskey

1 of 2

noun

whis·​key ˈ(h)wi-skē 

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

Of course, proof chasers and hazmat hounds are going to love this whiskey, and there’s nothing wrong with that—drinking whiskey is an entirely subjective experience. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025

And the movie, with these two sexy people sparring for about 10 minutes, only to settle their differences over whiskey before a roaring fire in a snowbound cabin that looks like a vacation hideaway, has an unironic romance-novel baby-it’s-cold-outside vibe of old-school desert-island love. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

But how the promptly dismissed Guiteau shifts into a Cousteau worth defending is more than a matter of counting the whiskeys Arthur consumes. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025

Gallagher added that Ross had drunk half a bottle of whiskey while extremely depressed on Christmas Day 2017, before messaging his estranged wife Iris about being hurt ahead of the killings, the Arizona Republic stated. —Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing whiskey

• blended whiskey
• corn whiskey
• Irish whiskey
• malt whiskey
• rye whiskey
• whiskey sour

Rhymes for whiskey

• frisky
• risky
• whisky

Kids Definition

whiskey

noun

whis·​key

variants or whisky

ˈhwis-kē 

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

ˈhwis-kē, ˈwis- 

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