'John Barleycorn' definitions:
Definition of 'John Barleycorn'
(from WordNet)
noun
An alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented [syn: liquor, spirits, booze, hard drink, hard liquor, John Barleycorn, strong drink]
Definition of 'John Barleycorn'
From: GCIDE
- Barleycorn \Bar"ley*corn`\, n. [See Corn.]
- 1. A grain or "corn" of barley. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Formerly, a measure of length, equal to the average length of a grain of barley; the third part of an inch. [1913 Webster]
- John Barleycorn, a humorous personification of barley as the source of malt liquor or whisky. [1913 Webster]