bourbon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An American whiskey made mostly from corn and aged in charred oak barrels.

   He poured himself a glass of bourbon after dinner.

2. 2
   noun

   A serving of bourbon whiskey.

   She ordered a bourbon at the bar.

The French Bourbon dynasty is named for the lordship of Bourbon l'Archambault. The town's name derives from Gaulish Borvo, a local Celtic deity associated with hot springs, from Proto-Celtic *borvo (“froth, foam”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to be hot, boil”). Compare brew and fervent. The subsidiary senses derive from the dynasty's name.

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