vodka
/ˈvɑdkə/ noun
Forms vodkas vodki vodky
- noun A clear distilled alcoholic liquor made from grain mash.
- noun A serving of the above beverage.
- noun (US standards of identity) Neutral spirits distilled (or treated after distillation) so as to have no distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.
- noun (countable, military slang, ethnic slur) A Russian.
- noun (uncountable, military slang) Russian language.
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian во́дка (vódka), from вода́ (vodá, “water”) + -ка (-ka, “-let: forming diminutives”). The archaic Russian name for vodka was хле́бное вино́ (xlébnoje vinó, “grain wine”); V. Pokhlyobkin's research suggests the present name derived from expressions concerning the dilution of the initial pure distilled spirit such as "vodka of grain wine".
Cognates include Sanskrit उदक (udaka), Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr) → English hydro-, English whisky and English water.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Russ.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vodka”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details