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Glite Dictionary
May wine

May wine

7.9
A sweet spring punch made from white wine, sugar, and a sweet herb
  • noun
translation icon : vino de mayo
  • Sweet woodruff gives May wine its distinctive aroma and flavor.

Examples

  • I love to drink May wine in the spring.

  • We prepared a refreshing bowl of May wine for our garden party last weekend.

  • Traditionally, May wine is enjoyed at spring festivals in Germany.

  • Have you ever tried May wine?

  • At the spring festival, we enjoyed refreshing May wine mixed with fresh berries and herbs.

  • She prepared a delightful May wine punch to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather.

  • During the picnic, we toasted with May wine that had been infused with sweet woodruff.

Surface Forms

May wine singular
May wines plural

Morphology

May + wine

The meaning is directly compositional: 'May' (the month) + 'wine' yields wine associated with May, i.e. a seasonal or spring drink. A B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a wine or wine-based punch served in May, even if they wouldn't predict the exact recipe ingredients.

Etymology

May wine comes from a simple spring custom: people picked the herb sweet woodruff in May and soaked it in wine to make a drink with a sweet, fresh smell for May Day and garden parties. That's why the name means a sweet, springtime 'punch'.