noun
moonshine
MOON-shyn
noun
1
The light given off by the moon.
"The lake shimmered in the moonshine."
"They could just make out the path by moonshine."
2
Strong alcohol, especially whiskey, that is often distilled illegally at home.
"His grandfather used to make moonshine in the hills during Prohibition."
"The bottle of moonshine had no label at all."
3
Nonsense; empty or foolish talk.
"Don't listen to his moonshine about get-rich-quick schemes."
verb
1
To secretly make homemade, illegal alcohol.
"They were arrested for moonshining in an old barn."
How to Use Moonshine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither literal moonlight, or homemade (often illegal) strong liquor.
Common mistake
In everyday use almost always means the illegal liquor, not the literal light of the moon — context makes it clear which is meant.
Common pairings
a jar of moonshine
run moonshine
moonshine still
Word Forms
moonshined past tense, moonshines plural, moonshines singular
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Etymology
From Middle English "moon-shine." The illicit-alcohol sense comes from smugglers and distillers who worked at night, "by the light of the moon," to avoid being caught.