Definition of MOONSHINE

moonshine

Meanings

Plural: moonshines

Noun

  • the light of the Moon
  • whiskey illegally distilled from a corn mash
  • The light of the moon.
  • High-proof alcohol (especially whiskey) that is often, but not always, produced illegally.
  • smuggled spirits, often with a specific sense; (Kent, Sussex) white brandy; (Yorkshire) gin.
  • Nonsense.
  • A branch of pure mathematics relating the Monster group to an invariant of elliptic functions.
  • A spiced dish of eggs and fried onions.
  • A month.

Verb

  • distill (alcohol) illegally; produce moonshine
  • To make homemade (especially, illicit) alcohol, especially distilled spirits.
  • To make (an ingredient) into such a drink.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

bathtub gin, bootleg, coon-dick, coondick, corn liquor, hooch, Moon, moonbeam, moonlight, mountain dew, white lightning

Scrabble Score: 14

moonshine is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
moonshine is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
moonshine is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

moonshine is a valid Words With Friends word