LIQUOR

8 definitions found across Law Mind sources

LIQUORAuthored
The Law Mind • 1022 words
Definition
In legal usage, liquor means alcoholic or spirituous liquid capable of causing intoxication. When the term appears in regulatory statutes — licensing laws, prohibition ordinances, sale restrictions, or criminal penalty provisions — courts have consistently construed it to mean only intoxicating liquors, not liquid substances generally. The broader ordinary meaning of the word (any liquid) is displaced by this narrower statutory construction.
Common Language
Modern common usage (Wiktionary): To drink liquor, usually to excess; to cause someone to drink liquor; to grease. Historical common usage (Webster's 1913): Any liquid substance, as water, milk, blood, sap, or juice; specifically, alcoholic or spirituous fluid, either distilled or fermented, as brandy, wine, whisky, or beer; also a medicinal solution in water. The gap here is meaningful and historically significant. Webster's 1913 captures the full breadth of the word — any liquid — which is how the term appears in older non-legal writing and in some scientific and pharmaceutical contexts. Legal sources narrowed the term sharply. When a statute uses "liquor" without qualification, courts have not interpreted it to cover water, milk, or medicinal solvents. Researchers encountering "liquor" in a legal instrument must determine the statutory context before assuming either meaning applies.
Common Confusion
LIQUOR / INTOXICATING LIQUOR / SPIRITUOUS LIQUOR: These three terms appear in historical statutes and case law as if interchangeable, but they are not identical. Spirituous liquor historically referred specifically to distilled spirits, excluding fermented beverages like beer and wine. Intoxicating liquor is the broader category — any substance capable of producing intoxication, whether distilled, fermented, or otherwise. Liquor, as a statutory term, has generally been interpreted to align with intoxicating liquor rather than the narrower spirituous liquor. The practical consequence: a statute prohibiting "liquor" sales likely covered beer and wine; one prohibiting "spirituous liquors" likely did not. Historical dictionaries, including Bouvier's, resolve this by cross-referencing to INTOXICATING LIQUOR rather than defining the term independently.
Recognized Forms
/SUBTYPES Spirituous Liquor: Distilled alcoholic beverages. The traditional core of prohibition-era legislation. Fermented Liquor: Beer, ale, wine, and similar beverages produced through fermentation rather than distillation. Historically contested whether this fell within statutory definitions of "liquor." Malt Liquor: Beer or ale brewed from malt. Jurisdictions varied on whether this was included in general liquor prohibitions. Liquor Dealer: A person engaged in the business of selling intoxicating liquors at wholesale or retail. Recognized as a distinct legal category with associated licensing requirements in regulatory statutes.
Why It Matters in Research
The term liquor is a research trap in historical sources precisely because its meaning is context-dependent in a way that is not always flagged by the text itself. Several issues arise: Statutory context controls. The same word in a licensing statute and in a temperance ordinance may have been interpreted differently by different courts. The Black's 2nd edition entries point to case law holding that "liquors" in prohibition statutes means intoxicating liquors — but not every court reached this conclusion uniformly, and the time period and jurisdiction matter enormously. Prohibition era instability. Between roughly 1880 and 1933, the legal definition of liquor in American jurisdictions was actively contested. State-level prohibition statutes proliferated and varied. The Volstead Act (1919) defined "intoxicating liquor" for federal purposes to include beer and wine above 0.5% alcohol — a definition more expansive than many state courts had previously adopted. Researchers working in Prohibition-era materials must track which definition was operative at the specific time and place. Anderson's Dictionary confusion. The Anderson's entry provided under LIQUOR actually describes liquidation and liquidators — an apparent indexing or scanning error in the historical source material. Researchers consulting Law Mind's digitized Anderson's entry for LIQUOR should be aware they may be looking at misattributed content. Pharmaceutical and scientific usage. Older legal documents involving pharmacies, medical practice, or manufacturing may use "liquor" in the Webster's sense — any liquid solution. These uses are not regulatory liquor law, and the distinction matters for interpreting instrument scope, contract terms, and penalty clauses. Bouvier's cross-reference strategy. Bouvier's defines LIQUOR by redirecting to INTOXICATING LIQUOR entirely. This is editorially significant: it signals that Bouvier's treated the standalone term as legally incomplete without the intoxicating qualifier, and researchers following Bouvier's approach should anchor their analysis in the fuller definition under that cross-referenced entry.
Historical Dictionary Support
Black's (1st ed.) and Black's (2nd ed.) are in agreement that liquor in prohibitory statutes refers only to spirituous or intoxicating liquors, not to liquids generally. The 2nd edition adds supporting case citations — Brass v. State, State v. Brittain, People v. Crilley — reinforcing that this was a settled point of statutory construction by the early twentieth century. Both editions are brief, treating the term as derivative of the fuller entries on Intoxicating Liquor and Spirituous Liquor. Bouvier's adds nothing definitionally; the cross-reference to INTOXICATING LIQUOR is the entirety of its treatment. Anderson's Dictionary, as noted above, does not appear to contain a genuine entry for LIQUOR in the source material provided — the text supplied concerns liquidation. Researchers should verify Anderson's independently before relying on it for this term. None of the historical dictionaries addresses fermented versus distilled liquors directly under this entry, nor do they engage the pharmaceutical usage question. For those issues, researchers must go to period case law and the fuller entries on Spirituous Liquor and Intoxicating Liquor.
Jurisdictional Note
State statutory definitions of liquor varied significantly, particularly during the late nineteenth century and the Prohibition era. Some jurisdictions expressly defined liquor to include beer and wine; others limited the term to distilled spirits. Federal law under the Volstead Act provided a broad definition for federal prohibition purposes, but state courts interpreting their own statutes were not bound by it. Modern regulatory frameworks — state alcohol control acts and the post-Prohibition licensing system — typically define the covered beverages explicitly, reducing reliance on the common-law gloss on "liquor."
Encyclopedia Cross-Reference
See Law Mind Encyclopedia: Prohibition and Alcohol Regulation; Licensing Law; Intoxicating Liquors
Related Terms
Intoxicating Liquor Spirituous Liquor Malt Liquor Liquor Dealer Prohibition Volstead Act Licensing (regulatory) Temperance Legislation Dram Shop
LIQUORmain
Black's Law Dictionary • 1891
This term, when used in stat- utes forbidding the sale of liquors, refers only to spirituous or intoxicating liquors. 18 N. J. Law, 311; 20 Barb. 246; 3 Denio, 407.
LIQUORmain
Black's Law Dictionary (2nd Ed.) • 1910
This term, when used in statutes forbidding the sale of liquors. refers only to spirituous or intoxicating liquors. Brass v. State, 45 Fla. 1, 34 South. 307; State v. Brittain, 89 N. C. 576; People v. Crilley, 20 Barb. (N. Y.) 248. See IntoxrcaTING Liquor; Spiritrvous Liquor. —Liquor dealer. One who carries on the business of selling intoxicating liquors, either at wholesale or retail, and irrespective of whether the liquor sold is produced or manufactured by himself or by others; but_there must be more than a single sale. See Timm v. Harrison, 109 Ill. 601; U. S. v. Allen (D. C.) 38 Fed. 7388; Fincannon v. State, 98 Ga. 418, 21 S. E. 53; State v. Dow, 21 Vt. 484; Mansfield v. State, 17 Tex. App. 472.—Liquor-shop. A house where spirituous liquors are kept and sold. Wooster v. State, 6 Baxt. (Tenn.) 534. —Liquor tax certificate. Under the excise laws of New York, a certificate of payment of the tax imposed upon the business of liquorselling, entitling the holder to carry on that business, and differing from the ordinary form of license in that it does not confer a mere personal privilege but creates a rf seg of property which is transferable by the owner. See In re Lyman, 160 N. Y. 96, 54 N. BH. 577; In He Cullinan, 82 App. Div. 445, 81 N. Y. Supp.
LIQUORmain
Anderson's Dictionary of Law • 1890
When, after duties have been liquidated, a reliquidation takes place, the date of the latter is the final liquidation for purposes of protest.1 Liquidator. One who settles up the business affairs of an insolvent - individual, partnership, or company. Under the English bankruptcy act of 1869, the creditors of an embarrassed person may resolve that his affairs shall be liquidated by a trustee, with or without a committee of inspection. The property of the debtor thereupon vests in the trustee, who has the powers of a trustee in bankruptcy. By resolution, at a general meeting, the creditors may close the liquidation and discharge the trustee. See WIND UP; BANK, 2 (2), National. "Liquors" commonly includes all liquors that are spirituous, vinous, inferior fermented, and malt.2 Intoxicating liquor. Any kind of liquor that will intoxicate, whether distilled or fermented.3 In Massachusetts, any beverage that contains more than three per centum of alcohol, by volume, at sixty degrees Fahrenheit.4 Spirituous liquor. Distilled liquor. All spirituous liquor is intoxicating; yet all intoxicating liquor is not spirituous, as, fermented liquor.5 "Spiritous" was held to mean "spirituous" liquor.. Vinous liquor. Liquor made from the juice of the grape.7 Liquor dealer. Selling an occasional drink out of a bottle was held not to constitute carrying on the business of a retail liquor dealer.8 Liquor shop. A house where spirituous liquors are kept and sold.9 Ale. Held to be within the terms of a statute prohibiting the sale of "strong or spirituous liquors" without license.10 See Cider. Board, &c. v. Louisville R. Co., 109 id. 221, 228 (1883); N. O. Board, &c. v. Hart, 118 id. 140 (1886). 1 Robertson v. Downing, 127 U. S. 603 (1888). 2 People v. Crilley, 20 Barb. 248-49 (1855); State v. Brittain, 89 N. C. 576 (1883). 3 State v. Reynolds, 47 Vt. 299 (1875); Commissioners v. Taylor, 21 N. Y. 173 (1860). 4 Mass. Act 23 April, 1880, 191, c. 239, § 5. • Commonwealth v. Grey, 2 Gray, 502 (1854). See State v. Haymond, 20 W. Va. 21 (1882), cases; State v. Oliver, 26 id. 425-26, 431-33 (1885), cases. • Commonwealth v. Burke, 15 Gray, 408 (1860). 7 Adler v. State, 55 Ala. 24 (1876); 38 Iowa, 467. & United States v. Jackson, 1 Hughes, 531 (1875): R. S. §§ 3242, 3244. • Wooster v. State, 6 Baxt. 534 (1873). 10 Nevin v. Ladue, 3 Denio, 43, 437 (1816); 20 Barb. 246; 105 Mass. 480; 30 Conn. 55; 33 Ind. 206; 12 Mo. 389; 44 • Durkee v. Board of Liquidation, 103 U. S. 647 (1880); Ν. Η. 511. Beer. The courts will take judicial notice that "lager beer" is a malt liquor. 1 In the absence of evidence to the contrary, beer will be presumed to be an intoxicating liquor.2 In section six of the Illinois Dram-shop act, "intoxicating liquor" means spirituous, malt, or vinous liquors. Proof, therefore, of a sale of beer (to a minor) without showing the kind of beer, and whether malt, vinous, or spirituous, is not sufficient to sustain an indictment. There are kinds of beer which are neither a malt liquor nor intoxicating. 3 When a witness testifies to the sale of beer under circumstances which make the sale of any intoxicating liquors unlawful, the prima facie inference is that the beer was of that quality declared by statute to be an intoxicating liquor. Whether a particular kind, as, "Schenck beer," is intoxicating, may be a question of fact for a jury; that it contains alcohol may not be conclusive upon this point. So as to "hop beer." "Strong beer" is within the meaning of the term "strong or spirituous liquors," in a statute to suppress intemperance." Cider. An averment of the sale of "intoxicating liquor" was held sustained by proof of the sale of unfermented cider. "Champaigne wine" was held to be a liquor.1 "Port wine" is an intoxicating liquor.2 Alcohol and gum-camphor mixed do not constitute a "spirituous liquor." 3 Whatever is generally and popularly known as intoxicating liquor, such as whiskey, brandy and gin, is within the prohibitions of the Kansas act of 1881, and may be so declared as matter of law by the courts, - that act prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors except for medical, scientific, and mechanical purposes, and providing that no one shall sell for the excepted purposes without a druggist's permit from a probate judge. Whatever is generally and popularly known as medicine, an article for the toilet, or for culinary purposes, recognized, and the formula for its preparation prescribed, in some standard authority, and not among the liquors ordinarily used as intoxicating beverages, such as tincture of gentian, paregoric, bay rum, cologne, essence of lemon, are not within the statute, and may be so declared as matter of law by the courts, notwithstanding such articles contain alcohol and may produce intoxication. But as to articles intermediate between these two classes, articles not known to the United States dispensatory or other stardard authority, compounds of intoxicating liquors with other ingredients, whether provided for a Whether ale and cider, after fermentation, are in single case, or compounded upon a formula and sold toxicating liquors, is a question for a jury. Neither cider nor crab-cider are included within the term "spirituous liquors, wine, ale, porter, beer, or any drink of like nature." 10 Gin. The court will take judicial notice that gin is an intoxicating liquor. 11 Pop. Where the charge was selling "intoxicating liquors," and the proof was a malt liquor of an intoxicating quality called "pop," a conviction was sustained. 12 Rum. This is a spirituous liquor, within a statute against selling such liquor without first paying a license tax.13 Wine. Is a fermented, not a spirituous, liquor. 14 Whether "blackberry wine" is a spirituous liquor was left to a jury to decide. 15 1 Watson v. State, 55 Ala. 158 (1876). State v. Teissedre, 30 Kan. 484 (1883): 6 id. 371; 16 Mo. 389; 14 Ohio, 586; Briffit v. State, 58 Wis. 39, 44 (1883): 3 Park. Cr. R. 9; 21 N. Y. 173; 63 id. 277; 11 R. I. 592. • Hansberg v. People, 120 III. 21, 25 (1886), cases. Myers v. State, 93 Ind. 253 (1883), cases: 5 Crim. Law Mag. 360-63 (1884), cases; Commonwealth v. Magee, 141 Mass. 113 (1886). Commonwealth v. Blos, 116 Mass. 56 (1874). • State v. McCafferty, 63 Me. 223 (1874). Excise Commissioners v. Taylor, 21 Ν. Υ. 173 (1860). • Commonwealth v. Dean, 14 Gray, 99 (1859). • State v. Biddle, 54 N. H. 379 (1874); 69 Me. 133.. 10 State v. Oliver, 26 W. Va. 422, 425, 427 (1885). 11 Commonwealth v. Peckham, 2 Gray, 514 (1854). 12 Godfriedson v. People, 88 III. 284 (1878). 13 United States v. Angell, 11 F. R. 34 (1881). 14 Caswell v. State, 2 Humph. 402 (1841); State v. Moore, 5 Blackf. *118 (1839); 19 Conn. 493. 16 State v. Lowry, 74 N. C. 121 (1876.) under a specific name, as, bitters, cordials, tonics, whether they are within or without the statute, is a question of fact for the jury alone. The test is this: If the compound be such that the distinctive character and effect of intoxicating liquor are gone, that its use as an intoxicating beverage is practically impossible, by reason of the other ingredients, then it is not included within the statute. But if the intoxicating liquor remains as a distinctive force and the compound is reasonably liable to be used as an intoxicating beverage, then it is within the statute. Any State may prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors for use as a beverage. At common law, traffic in intoxicating liquors was a lawful business. The original
LIQUORn.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
Any liquid substance, as water, milk, blood, sap, juice, or the like. Specifically, alcoholic or spirituous fluid, either distilled or fermented, as brandy, wine, whisky, beer, etc. A solution of a medicinal substance in water; -- distinguished from tincture and aqua.
LIQUORv.
Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913
To supply with liquor. [R.] To grease. [Obs.] Bacon. Liquor fishermen's boots. Shak.
liquorverb
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
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To drink liquor, usually to excess. | To cause someone to drink liquor, usually to excess. | To grease.
liquornoun
Wiktionary (English) • 2026
Wiktionary contributorsCC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.
A liquid, a fluid. | A beverage, any drinkable liquid. | A liquid obtained by cooking meat or vegetables (or both). | A parsley sauce commonly served with traditional pies and mash. | Strong (high-ABV) alcoholic drink derived from fermentation and distillation. | Any alcoholic beverage. | In process industry, a liquid in which a desired reaction takes place, e.g. pulping liquor is a mixture of chemicals and water which breaks wood into its components, thus facilitating the extraction of cellulose. | A liquid in which something has been steeped.

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