Absinthe

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæb.sɪnθ/

Definitions

1. A distinctive green spirit derived from wormwood and various herbs, known for its strong anise flavor and high alcohol content
2. This herbal concoction, typically green in color, is made from infused botanicals and has been linked to artistic bohemia and intoxication
3. A potent, often green liquor made from various botanicals, especially wormwood, that is noted for its unique taste and historical connections to art and inebriation

Etymology: The most striking thing about this word is that its original meaning was not a drink at all but a bitter plant. Ancient Greek "apsínthion" named wormwood, a herb famous for its sharp taste, and the Romans borrowed it as "absinthium." The plant's bitterness was so proverbial that the word came to stand for sorrow and bitterness in general, a sense English inherited from Middle English, long before anyone thought of distilling it. The liquor only arrived much later. The drink took its name from the plant, which was used as a flavouring and was believed to have medicinal qualities, and French usage of the word eventually applied to the spirit itself. English borrowed that sense from Modern French, so the word now carries two lives at once: the ancient herb that tasted of grief, and the green liquor that later made it famous in cafés and studios.