aqua vitae

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aqua vitae

/ˌeɪkwə ˈvaɪti/
/ˌækwə ˈviːteɪ/

Where it comes from

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.

noun aquae vitae · aqua vitæ

countable, uncountable An aqueous solution of alcohol typically prepared by distilling wine.
archaic, countable, uncountable A concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol.
archaic, countable, uncountable Synonym of ardent spirits, particularly cognac and other French brandy. Ile ſooner truſt an Iriſhman vvith my Aquauita bottle, Sir Hu our parſon vvith my cheeſe, A theefe to vvalk my ambling gelding, thẽ my vvife VVith her ſelfe […]
Similar: water of life, eau de vie, ardent spirits, particularly cognac and other French brandy

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MLA

"aqua vitae." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/aqua%20vitae. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

aqua vitae. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/aqua%20vitae

Chicago

"aqua vitae." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/aqua%20vitae.

BibTeX

@misc{aqua_vitae_2026,
  title = {aqua vitae},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/aqua%20vitae},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}