Swizzles

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A twisting or turning movement, often applied in a playful manner
2. a method of stirring drink mixtures to combine ingredients
3. decorative or whimsical designs that create an engaging visual effect

Etymology: The word that now names swirling, eye-catching patterns began as a drink. "Swizzle" first appeared around 1813 for an alcoholic beverage, possibly a variant of "switchel," a colonial-era mixture of molasses and water often laced with rum. Where the name itself came from is unknown, though it may have been shaped by "swirl" or "fizz," which would suit a frothy, stirred-up cocktail. The verb sense of stirring came later and grew out of the object used to do the stirring. The "swizzle stick," a stick for whisking alcoholic drinks, is recorded from 1859, and the verb was formed from it. The sense of rapid, twirling motion that lies behind the decorative meaning follows naturally from that agitated stirring.