quinine water
- noun
- /ˈkwɪnaɪn ˈwɔːtər/
:
agua tónica
- He ordered a glass of quinine water with a slice of lime.
Examples
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The bitter taste of quinine water makes it popular as a mixer for cocktails.
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Have you tried quinine water with a slice of lime?
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Some people drink quinine water to relieve leg cramps.
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I enjoy drinking quinine water on hot days.
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He ordered a glass of quinine water with a slice of lime.
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I enjoy drinking quinine water on hot days.
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Have you tried quinine water with a slice of lime?
Synonyms
49
4.4
A bitter fizzy drink used as a mixer with gin
2
2.5
A fizzy drink with a bitter taste often mixed with gin
Surface Forms
Morphology
quinine + water
The phrase is compositionally transparent: it denotes water (a drink) that contains or is flavored with quinine, so a learner who knows the meanings of 'quinine' and 'water' can infer the MWE's meaning. Although 'quinine' is relatively low-frequency and may be unknown to many learners, the noun–noun combination follows normal composition patterns and has clear parallels in other languages (e.g. tonic/quinine water), supporting transparency.
Etymology
Quinine water gets its name from the bitter medicine quinine mixed into fizzy water. People added lime or lemon to make the taste better, so today the name means a fizzy soft drink flavored with quinine and citrus that is often drunk on its own or used as a mixer.