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Glite Dictionary
spirituous

spirituous

1 9.0
Containing alcohol, like whiskey or vodka
  • adjective
  • /ˈspɪrɪtʃuəs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : espirituoso
  • Poor Mr. Mandrake wheezed and labored, but for me it was giddying as a spirituous drink.
  • spirituous liquors

Examples

  • He had read my tract against spirituous liquors and approved it in Maine.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Mr. Locke, you know that spirituous liquors are...

    Wesley (2009)

  • It would be best to abstain from spirituous liquors for a time.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Restaurants that offer spirituous beverages must comply with strict licensing laws.

  • Many people enjoy spirituous cocktails during celebrations and festive occasions.

  • In some cultures, drinking spirituous liquors is a traditional practice during special ceremonies.

Synonyms

alcoholic
vsspirituous
32 3.7

Containing alcohol, for example beer or wine

is about liquids that contain alcohol rather than effects caused by it
spiritous
vsspirituous
  • Archaic
9.3

A liquid that contains alcohol, like whisky or rum

is limited to liquids meant to be drunk rather than any liquid

Antonyms

nonalcoholic
5 2.5

A drink or product that does not contain alcohol

How Alcoholic

overproof
  • Specialized
7.0
spirituous
  • Archaic
1 9.0
alcoholic
32 3.7
near beer
  • Archaic
1 5.1

Surface Forms

spirituous positive

Morphology

spirituous = spirit (transparent) = spirit + uous

Meaning is directly derived from 'spirit' (alcohol) plus the adjectival suffix '-uous' meaning 'having or full of', so learners familiar with 'spirit' and '-ous' can infer 'containing alcohol'.

Etymology

Spirituous comes from spirit, itself from the old Latin spiritus, meaning 'breath' or 'spirit'. Long ago, when people heated drinks and collected the steam to make stronger alcohol, they thought this released the drink's 'spirit', so spirituous means 'containing alcohol'.