firewater
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firewater
Where it comes from
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.
noun firewaters
-
High-proof alcoholic beverage, especially whiskey (especially in the context of its sale to or consumption by Native Americans).
High Jack had been drinking too much rum ever since we landed in Boca. You know how an Indian is—the palefaces fixed his clock when they introduced him to firewater.
Similar: adult beverage, alcohol, bevvy, booze, carouse, drink, fuddling, grog, hard drink, libation, liquor, lush
- Water for use in firefighting. A continuously circulated firewater line supplies a deluge cooling system in each gathering center for fire containment.
- High-temperature hydraulic condensate discharged from industrial boilers.
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Synonym of alkahest.
Similar: alkahest
Translations
Every language
noun high-proof alcoholic beverage
| Português | aguardente |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Feuerwasser |
| Русский | огненная вода ognennaja voda |
noun water for use in firefighting
| Français | eau d'extinction |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Löschwasser |
Talk about this word "firewater." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/firewater. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. firewater. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/firewater "firewater." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/firewater.Cite this
@misc{firewater_2026,
title = {firewater},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/firewater},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
