proof spirit
- noun
- /pruːf ˈspɪrɪt/
- Specialized
:
espíritu de prueba
- The customs officer tested the liquor to see if it matched the strength of proof spirit.
Examples
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In the nineteenth century, proof spirit was commonly used in laboratory experiments.
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High-quality whiskey is often measured against the standard of proof spirit.
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A proof spirit is commonly used in distillation.
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Many cocktails require a proof spirit as a base.
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To ensure accurate measurements, the distiller used a sample of proof spirit before beginning the process.
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For the cocktail recipe, you need to add one ounce of proof spirit to achieve the desired alcohol content.
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The bartender explained that using proof spirit would result in a stronger drink than regular alcohol.
Antonyms
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'proof' (a measure of alcohol strength) modifies 'spirit' (a distilled alcoholic drink), so the phrase denotes a spirit at a particular measured strength. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer it refers to alcohol of a specified proof, though the exact technical percentage (50% at 60°F) is a specialist detail.
Etymology
Proof spirit comes from an old testing idea: proof meant 'to test' and spirit was a common word for strong alcohol. People used simple checks, like seeing if alcohol made gunpowder burn, so a fixed mix became the proof spirit that acted as the standard for measuring alcohol strength today.