aguardiente

[ ah-gwahr-dee-en-tee; Spanish ah-gwahr-th yen-te ]

/ ɑˌgwɑr diˈɛn ti; Spanish ˌɑ gwɑrˈðyɛn tɛ /

a type of brandy made in Spain and Portugal.

a liquor, popular in South and Central America, made from sugar cane.

(in Spanish-speaking countries) any distilled spirit.

Origin of aguardiente

1815–25, Americanism; < Spanish, contraction of agua ardiente literally, fiery water; see aqua, ardent

agst., agt, agt., agterskot, aguadilla, aguardiente, aguascalientes, ague, agueweed, aguinaldo, aguish

Fortifying his inner man with the last half pint of aguardiente for breakfast, which quite refreshed him, he went to work.

Captain Brand of the "Centipede" |H. A. (Henry Augustus) Wise
After a short rest and a long pull of aguardiente we pushed on again.

The Putumayo, The Devil's Paradise |Walter Hardenburg
With eyes drowned in aguardiente he stood as one dazed, looking after, but taking no measures to stop it.

The Free Lances |Mayne Reid
The good old truck that you Spaniards mollify under the name of aguardiente is the solution of all problems, Perez.

Plain Mary Smith |Henry Wallace Phillips

They desired not to eat or to drink—not even of my aguardiente, which is the best.

Cabbages and Kings |O. Henry

aguardiente

/ Spanish (aɣwarˈðjente) /

any inferior brandy or similar spirit, esp from Spain, Portugal, or South America

C19: literally: burning water