grog

noun

ˈgräg 

1

: alcoholic liquor

especially : liquor (such as rum) cut with water and now often served hot with lemon juice and sugar sometimes added

2

: refractory materials (such as crushed pottery and firebricks) used in the manufacture of refractory products (such as crucibles) to reduce shrinkage in drying and firing

Did you know?

Eighteenth-century English admiral Edward Vernon reputedly earned the nickname "Old Grog" because he often wore a cloak made from grogram (a coarse, loosely woven fabric made of silk or silk blended with mohair or wool). In Old Grog's day, sailors in the Royal Navy were customarily given a daily ration of rum, but in 1740 the admiral, concerned about the health of his men, ordered that the rum should be diluted with water. The decision wasn't very popular with the sailors, who supposedly dubbed the mixture "grog" after Vernon. Today, "grog" can be used as a general term for any liquor, even undiluted, and someone who acts drunk or shaky can be called "groggy."

Synonyms

• alcohol
• aqua vitae
• ardent spirits
• booze
• bottle
• drink
• firewater
• hooch [slang]
• inebriant
• intoxicant
• John Barleycorn
• juice [slang]
• liquor
• lush [slang]
• moonshine
• potable
• rum
• sauce [slang]
• spirits
• stimulant
• strong drink
• tipple

Examples of grog in a Sentence

sailors clamoring for more grog

Recent Examples on the Web

Playes also play companions and grogs that are part of the Chantry. —Rob Wieland, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Need stronger grog? —Washington Post, 9 May 2021

Given the cemetery setting, researchers propose grog was made during funerary rituals in the cave, as an offering to the dearly departed and refreshment for the living. —Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2020

Krampus Kandy White Stout – The golden ale started as a holiday offering but now is available all year, infused with Highlander grog coffee. —Marc Bona, cleveland, 12 Dec. 2022

Just a few days earlier, a grog run had gone terribly wrong on the road. —Michael Robinson Chavez, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2022

The word nog comes from the word grog; or any drink made with rum. —Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping, 23 Sep. 2022

As long as the grub and grog kept comin’, and as long as everyone had a few turns gripping and ripping. —Michael McKnight, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2022

O’Brian’s novels not only provide a holodeck-type experience, they are peppered with examples of how sailors adapted to months at sea (e.g., making and darning their clothing, playing music together, drinking grog, of course). —Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Old Grog, nickname of Edward Vernon †1757 English admiral responsible for diluting the sailors' rum

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

grog

noun

ˈgräg 

: alcoholic liquor

especially : liquor (as rum) weakened with water

groggery

ˈgräg-ə-rē

noun