Link Centre Dictionary

moonshine

moons·hine

UK/ˈmuːnʃaɪn/ US/ˈmuˌnʃaɪn/ uncommon archaic informal obsolete uk us
noun (2) verb (1)

noun

1.

the light of the moon

  • “moonlight is the smuggler”
  • “;”
Synonyms
2.

whiskey illegally distilled from a corn mash

Synonyms

verb

1.

Origin

From Middle English mone schyne, mone-schyne, moone shone; equivalent to moon + shine. Illegally distilled liquor is so named because its manufacture may be conducted without artificial light at night. The verb sense is a back-formation from moonshiner.

Phrases

  • eggs in moonshine
  • Mathieu moonshine
  • monstrous moonshine
  • moonshine pudding
  • umbral moonshine

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.