firewater
Firewater (noun) means High-proof alcoholic beverage, especially whiskey (especially in the context of its sale to or consumption by Native Americans).
Etymology
A calque of a Native American language term, probably Ojibwe ishkodewaaboo (“alcohol”), from ishkodew- (“fire”) + -aaboo (“liquid”, glossed in older works as “water”). A number of other Algonquian, Siouan and Athabaskan languages also refer to whiskey with compounds that mean "fire-water" (on which basis noted Algonquianist Leonard Bloomfield even reconstructed a Proto-Algonquian word for it, *eškwete·wa·po·wi, although this cannot have existed). The motivation of the name is not entirely clear: It may refer to the “burning” feeling of ingesting high-proof alcohol, or to its flammability; alternatively, it may refer to how low-quality spirits also often included ingredients such as pepper, which burned. Non-alcohol-related senses are simply fire + water.
Rhymes for firewater
See all rhymes for firewater →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of firewater?
"firewater" (noun) means high-proof alcoholic beverage, especially whiskey (especially in the context of its sale to or consumption by Native Americans).
What are the different meanings of firewater?
"firewater" has 3 main meanings: 1. High-proof alcoholic beverage, especially whiskey (especially in the context of its sale to or consumption by Native Americans); 2. Water for use in firefighting; 3. High-temperature hydraulic condensate discharged from industrial boilers.