tequila

noun

te·​qui·​la tə-ˈkē-lə 

tā-

plural tequilas

: a Mexican liquor made chiefly from the fermented sap of the blue agave that has been subjected to two separate distillations

Tequila is a form of mezcal that enjoys a regional appellation—it must be produced in Tequila, Jalisco (a state in Mexico), entirely from the nectar from the blue agave plant.

—Justin Grant

The most important difference between fine tequila and ordinary tequila is that the good stuff is made from 100 percent blue agave—the desert succulent that is pressure cooked, then fermented.

—Food & Wine

Note: Tequila is often distinguished from other mezcals because it can only be made from the blue agave and has more restrictive guidelines regarding its production.

"We're going to offer wine, beer, cocktails, a lot of tequila and mezcal, and margaritas on tap," said [bar] owner Patrick Todd.

—Jordyn Noennig

Examples of tequila in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 2025 version of this series includes whiskey finished in barrels previously used to mature tequila, Bordeaux wine, Moscatel, and the subject of this review (the best of the lot, in my opinion), Amarone wine. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Feb. 2025

Where her counterparts used EDM to drown our fears in tequila and beat drops, Gaga addressed them softly, head-on, while also supplying refuge and ecstasy. —Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2025

If Trump eventually does impose tariffs on Mexico, consumers could expect to see sharply higher prices for produce, beer, tequila and household appliances, many of which are made south of the border. —Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025

But tequila and Canadian whisky – like Kentucky bourbon — are designated as distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. —Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Tequila, town in Jalisco state, Mexico

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tequila

• tequila sunrise

Rhymes for tequila

• drosophila
• philomela
• sheila

Kids Definition

tequila

noun

te·​qui·​la tə-ˈkē-lə 

tā-

: a Mexican liquor made from the fermented juice of an agave