poteen means illegally produced Irish whiskey; moonshine. It carries an Arena rating of 1576, earned across 68 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, poteen ranks #1,053 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,783 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,993 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #2,385 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
poteen is pronounced /pəˈtiːn/.
Why “poteen” is a great word
POTEEN — [Noun] Illegally distilled Irish whiskey, traditionally made in a small pot still. From Irish poitín ("little pot; poteen"), from pota ("pot") (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *budn- ("type of vessel")) + -ín (diminutive suffix). First attested in English c. 1805–15. Unlike "whiskey," its lawful, commercial cousin, or "moonshine," the generic American term for illicit spirits, poteen is a spirit defined by clandestine craft and stubborn locality. It is the sharp, grassy scent rising from a hidden peat-fire, the glint of copper tubing in a hawthorn thicket, and the fierce, clear fire of a spirit never softened by a cask—a raw distillation of a withheld landscape, carrying in its burn the taste of turf and subterfuge.
Etymology
From Irish poitín (“little pot; poteen”), from pota (“pot”) (from Middle English potte, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *budn- (“type of vessel”)) + -ín (diminutive suffix).
noun
- Illegally produced Irish whiskey; moonshine.e.g.“The Irish peasantry practice the distillation of that illicit spirituous liquor, so well known by the name of poteen whiskey, with a most unaccountable infatuation.” — 1835 September 13, J. L. L., “The Poteen Still. A Tale Founded on Fact.”, in Philip Dixon Hardy, editor, The Dublin Penny Journal, volume III, number 115, Dublin: Printed and published by P. D. Hardy,
- An unlicensed drinking establishment selling illegally produced Irish whiskey.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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