moon-shine

Noun

moonshine (countable and uncountable, plural moonshines)

1. (literally) The light of the moon.
   • […] her Waggon Spokes made of long Spinners legs: the Couer of the wings of Graſhoppers, her Traces of the ſmalleſt Spiders web, her coullers of the Moonſhines watry Beames […]c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
   1. (literally) The light reflected off Earth's Moon.
   2. (literally) The light reflected off a moon.
2. (informal) High-proof alcohol (especially whiskey) that is often, but not always, produced illegally.
   • They watered down the moonshine.

   Synonyms:

   bathtub gin, bootleg, coon dick, corn liquor, hooch, moonlight, mountain dew, white lightning

3. (UK, archaic, dialectal) Smuggled spirits, often with a specific sense; (Kent, Sussex) white brandy; (Yorkshire) gin.

   Synonyms:

   moonlight

4. (informal, uncountable) Nonsense.
   • He was talking moonshine.

See all 11 meanings of moonshine