aguardiente

noun

aguar·​di·​en·​te
ˌä-ˌgwär-dē-ˈen-tē,
-ˈdyen-(ˌ)tā
variants or less commonly aguardente
ˌä-ˌgwär-ˈden-tē,
-(ˌ)tā
or aquardiente
ˌä-ˌkwär-dē-ˈen-tē,
-ˈdyen-(ˌ)tā
plural -s
: any of several distilled alcoholic beverages: such as
a
: a coarse brandy made in Spain and Portugal
b
: a liquor that is usually made from sugarcane and is common in South America, Central America, and the southwestern U.S.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish aguardiente, from agua water + ardiente burning, from Latin ardent-, ardens, present participle of ardēre to burn

First Known Use

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aguardiente was in 1752

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near aguardiente

Cite this Entry

“Aguardiente.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aguardiente. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on aguardiente

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!