samshu

American

[sam-shoo, -syoo] / ˈsæm ʃu, -syu /

noun

a Chinese liqueur distilled from millet or rice.

samshu British

/ ˈsæmʃuː, -sjuː /

noun

an alcoholic drink from China that is made from fermented rice and resembles sake

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of samshu

1690–1700; < dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) sàam-sìu, akin to Chinese sān shāo three boilings, brewings

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was holding in his hand a blue china bowl filled with samshu.

From Held by Chinese Brigands by Strang, Herbert

Mr. and Mrs. Newbegin were waiting on the veranda and the marines had been having a little samshu.

From Mortmain by Train, Arthur Cheny

Gently rousing her and speaking soothing words he held out his humble offering of two little bowls containing rice and samshu, some sticks of incense and a few tiny candles.

From Life and sport in China Second Edition by Ready, Oliver George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023