aqua vitae
Meanings
noun
- An aqueous solution of alcohol typically prepared by distilling wine.
- A concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol.
- Synonym of ardent spirits, particularly cognac and other French brandy.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Medieval Latin aqua vītae directly and via Middle English aqua vite and French eau-de-vie, from aqua (“water”) and vītae (“of life”). Doublet of aquavit and akvavit. Compare eau de vie, whisky, whiskey, and water of life from the same source.
Synonyms
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.