strong water
[Rendering of med.L. aqua fortis.]
† 1. = aquafortis 1, 2. Obs.
| 1580 Blundevil Curing Horses Dis. cviii. 50 It shall be good..to wash all his taile with Aqua fortis, or strong water, made in this sort. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. iv. 215 They refine it [gold] likewise with quicke⁓silver and strong water. 1626 Bacon Sylva §800 Metalls themselues doe receiue in readily Strong-Waters; And Strong-Waters likewise doe readily pierce into Metalls, and Stones. 1694 Salmon Bate's Dispens. i. ix. 400/1 But if you dissolve apart in Strong-waters, you do two things at once. |
2. Any form of alcoholic spirits used as a beverage. Now only in pl. (somewhat arch.).
| a 1613 Overbury Wife, etc. (1638) 178 His new Trade of brewing Strong-Waters makes a number of mad-men. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iv. 160 After, with warme clothes and a little strong water, they had a little recouered him. 1687 Relat. De Chaumont's Embassy Siam 23 Eleven Barks full of Oxen, Sheep,..and Strong-water made with Rice. 1727 Gay Begg. Op. ii. iv, Strong waters will in time ruin your constitution. 1790 Act 30 Geo. III, c. 38 §9 Any distilled Spirituous Liquors or Strong Waters. 1820 Scott Monast. xxxv, Usquebagh—a liquor strange to Halbert, for the strong waters known in the south of Scotland came from France. 1855 Englishw. in Russia 9 He gave so much strong waters.., that everybody became so drunk that they could not move. |
† 3. attrib. and Comb. Obs.
| 1654 Burton's Diary (1828) I. 181 Tobacco-shops, and strong-water houses. 1657 in Thurloe St. Papers (1742) VI. 315 This informant..searched in the house of Samuel Rogers, a strong-water-man,..and there found seven parcels of books. Ibid. vi. 318 Her master's shop, being a strong-water-shop. 1707 Lond. Gaz. No. 4391/4 Thomas Mathews, late of Newbery.., Strongwaterman. |