Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A brandy of Turkey and the Balkans, distilled from grapes or plums and flavored with anise.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A colorless aromatic spirituous liquor, prepared from grain-spirit, as in Greece, or from distilled grape-juice, as in the Levant.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A kind of ardent spirits used in southern Europe and the East, distilled from grape juice, grain, etc.
Etymologies
- From Turkish rakı, from Arabic عرقي (ʿáraqi, "of liquor"), from عرق (ʿáraq, "arrack, arak"), literally, “condensate,” which refers to an ouzo-like liqueur made of raisins. (Wiktionary)
- Turkish rāqī, from Arabic 'araq, arrack; see arrack. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Turks call raki lion's milk, and it looks a little like milk after you put the water in.”
“He drank raki, which is the potent anise-flavored national drink in Turkey.”
“Turk from Tabreez catches me aside and asks mysteriously if my packages contain any "raki" (arrack).”
Around the World on a Bicycle - Volume II From Teheran To Yokohama
“Also they serve "raki", an anise liquor which is a favorite of mine.”
“Turkish 'raki' loses out to cheap beer in economic slump”
“A one-liter bottle of raki, also known as lion's milk, now averages about $35.”
“Pernod Ricard has said its most popular brands, including Absolut, Chivas, Havana Club and Ballantines — though they typically sell at a premium to raki — grew 40% in Turkey in 2010.”
“But the move has raised hackles among some secularists in a country whose modern founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was a renowned drinker of raki , the national anisette spirit.”
“Our partners at the Aegean Pearl prepared an extraordinary celebration -- with beautiful decorations (including a vast array of blue and white balloons and flowers), tables full of traditional Greek and Cretan mezes (appetizers), newly-invented drinks (blue ouzo and raki, special blue water), and above all, a special cake.”
The Huffington Post: Alex Pattakos: 'Opa! Day' Celebrating All Things Greek!
“To do that, the company has started selling locally relevant spirits such as baijiu in China and raki in Turkey.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘raki’.
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Libatious Words
worth pouring over
foison, fondant, fondue, font, found, funnel, fusile, libation, fuse, fusion, affusion, circumfuse and 85 more...
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Middlesex
Gleanings from Jeffrey Eugenides' 2002 book of that title.
kukla, kundalini, pantocrator, tsoureki, cruciform, rebetika, periphescence, phylloxera, raki, scrapyard, praying mantis, pilothouse and 38 more...
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That's the Spirit!
Liqueurs (generic) from around the world
absinthe, triple sec, curaçao, amaretto, crème de cacao, sambuca, ouzo, anis, anisette, limoncello, grappa, crème de cassis and 27 more...
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Liquor is Quicker
Fermented and distilled.
usquebaugh, whisky, malt whisky, grain whisky, bourbon, scotch, gin, vodka, brandy, cognac, Armagnac, Pisco and 73 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for raki.
mollusque In Angora, Mustafa Kemal let it be printed in the newspaper that he would be holding a tea at Chankaya while in actuality he'd left for his headquarters in the field. With his mean, he drank the last raki he'd take until the battle was over.
--Jeffrey Eugenides, 2002, Middlesex, p. 34-35 Aug 6, 2008
reesetee A strong Turkish liqueur made from anise and raisins. Feb 26, 2007