sambuca
6
8.2
- noun
- /sæmˈbuːkə/
- At the restaurant, he ordered a glass of sambuca as a traditional Italian digestif.
- coffee with sambuca
- raisins steeped in sambuca
Examples
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She always liked to sip sambuca while chatting with friends after meals.
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For once she turns down dessert and settles for an espresso laced (Cal insists on this) with sambuca.
Fiction book (2001) -
Can I have a Sambuca with ice?
-
Bring us a bottle of Sambuca, and Utrillo's last evening.
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Maybe a couple of sambucas.
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Lobsters, some wine, a couple of sambucas, you know?
-
After dinner, the law professor and his wife usually would sit in the reading room for a while, leafing through newspapers and sipping Sambuca.
Fiction book (1991) -
Sambuca poured over three black espresso beans.
Fiction book (1992) -
Abra was tired and didn't want coffee or tea, but she also never wanted to do anything to upset any custom—people drink coffee or tea after dinner—so she doused her coffee with Sambuca.
Fiction book (1998) -
After finishing dinner, they enjoyed a shot of sambuca to cleanse their palates.
Synonyms
14
5.6
A strong sweet alcoholic drink often served after a meal
3
6.7
A sweet Italian alcoholic drink made from lemons and served cold after a meal
How Strong
Surface Forms
Etymology
Sambuca comes from Italian and likely traces back to the Latin word sambucus meaning 'elder', as in the English word 'elderberry', or to an old Arabic word zambuq for 'anise'. Both ideas link the name to plants and strong taste, which helps explain why sambuca is a sweet, anise-flavoured liqueur.