geneva1
(dʒɪˈniːvə)
Also 8 geneve, -er.
[ad. Du. genever, jenever (the ending being assimilated to that of Geneva2), ad. OF. genevre (F. genièvre):—L. jūniperus juniper.]
A spirit distilled from grain, and flavoured with the juice of juniper berries; it is made in Holland, and is hence also called Hollands, formerly Hollands Geneva. (Often written with capital G by confusion with Geneva2.)
In the shortened form gin, the name chiefly denotes a spirit of British manufacture, originally an imitation of the Dutch spirit, and usually flavoured not with juniper but with some substitute; but the words are sometimes used indiscriminately. In many works of reference in the 18th c. and even later, geneva is explained as the name of a spirit distilled, or obtained by fermentation, from juniper berries; but it does not appear that this was ever correct.
| 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Geneva, a kind of strong Water so called. 1709 Brit. Apollo II. No. 22. 3/1 The Gypsie With Flip and Geneve got most Damnably Typsie. 1727 Arbuthnot John Bull Postscr. ch. xiv, He found the combatants drinking Genever in a Brandy-Shop. 1732 Fielding Mock Doctor ix, Take one of these boluses..washing it down with six spoon⁓fuls of the best Holland's Geneva. 1751 Sir J. Hill Mat. Med. ii. v. xxi. 487 We used to keep a distill'd spirituous Water of Juniper in the Shops, but..the making of it became the Business..of the Distiller, who sold it under the Name of Geneva; but at present only a better Kind [of] that is made with the Juniper Berry, what they commonly sell is made with no better an Ingredient than Oil of Turpentine..and with the coarsest Spirit they have. 1796 Campaigns 1793–4 I. i. Introd. 5 Geneva..was in great quantities served out to the French armies, whenever an engagement was expected. 1816 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. (1843) II. 187 Immediately I seized my prey, and not knowing how to destroy it, I immersed it in Geneva. 1831 Lincoln Herald 16 Dec. 3/4 If a poor boatman is found in possession of..a gallon of contraband geneva, he is fined. 1889 Pall Mall G. 13 Nov. 2/2 Of rum, alcohol, and Geneva 652,000 cwt. were exported in 1888. |
| attrib. 1718 [Read's] Weekly Jrnl. 4 Jan., Last Thursday morning a Woman..coming out of a Jenava Shop, in Red Cross Street, fell down. |
Hence
† geˈnevaed ppl. a., drunk with geneva.
| 1755 Young Centaur vi. Wks. 1757 IV. 251 These..gorgons, furies, harpies..on fire or quenched; genevaed or citroned..in tavern, bagnio, brothel. |