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arak

arak

1 8.8
A clear anise-flavored alcoholic drink from the Middle East
  • noun
: arak
  • During the warm summer evenings, it is common to enjoy arak mixed with water and ice.

Examples

  • The Monastirials traded in fabrics, olive oil, arak, and herring, and prayed in a synagogue that was the only wooden building in Jerusalem.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Sara brings his coffee up to him, with a glass of arak and a glass of cold water by its side.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • An arak drinker, huh?

  • At the party, we toasted with arak, a traditional anise-flavored drink popular in the Middle East.

  • She served arak alongside the appetizers, enhancing the flavor with its distinct licorice taste.

Synonyms

raki
vsarak
1 8.6

A strong clear drink flavored with anise, popular in Turkey and the Balkans

is traditionally consumed in the Middle East rather than in Turkey or the Balkans

How Strong

absinthe
11 9.6
arak
1 8.8
vodka
284 1.3
wine
∞ 1.0
beer
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

arak singular
araks plural

Etymology

Arak comes from the Arabic root araq, which means 'to sweat', like the English word 'sweat'. That picture of drops forming during distillation makes sense of why arak is the clear, anise-flavored spirit served across the Middle East.