whis·key
ˈ(h)wi-skē 
variants
or whisky
plural whiskeys or whiskies
1
: a liquor distilled from fermented wort (such as that obtained from rye, corn, or barley mash)
2
: a drink of whiskey
Whiskey
2 of 2communications code word
—used as a code word for the letter w
Examples of whiskey in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Eugenio Leiva sat alone at a table by the bar, nursing a whiskey.
—Natalia Favre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Between Mad Men and Your Friends and Neighbors, no one can down (fake) whiskey like Jon Hamm.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2026
One member of the company takes five shots of whiskey (or another liquor of their choice) before tackling a role in one of Bard’s most famous plays.
—Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiskey
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Noun
This is apparently so intolerable to the American public of the 1950s that he is chased out of a radio station after airing his views, whiskey bottle in hand.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Eugenio Leiva sat alone at a table by the bar, nursing a whiskey.
—Natalia Favre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
Between Mad Men and Your Friends and Neighbors, no one can down (fake) whiskey like Jon Hamm.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2026
One member of the company takes five shots of whiskey (or another liquor of their choice) before tackling a role in one of Bard’s most famous plays.
—Abraham Swee, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whiskey
Cite this Entry
“Whiskey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiskey. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whiskey
noun
whis·key
variants
or whisky
ˈhwis-kē
ˈwis-
plural whiskeys or whiskies
: an alcoholic liquor made from grain (as rye, corn, or barley)
Etymology
Noun
from uisce beatha, a phrase in Irish (the ancient language of Ireland) and isuge beatha, a phrase in Scottish Gaelic (the ancient language of Scotland), both meaning literally "water of life"
Medical Definition
whiskey
noun
whis·key
variants
or whisky
plural whiskeys or whiskies
: a liquor that is distilled from the fermented mash of grain (as rye, corn, or barley) and was formerly used medicinally as a sedative and vasodilator
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