Angostura
|an-go-stu-ra|
🇺🇸
/ˌæŋɡəˈstʊrə/
🇬🇧
/ˌæŋɡəˈstʊərə/
narrow place → place name → aromatic bitter
Etymology
'Angostura' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'angostura', where 'angosto' meant 'narrow'.
'Angostura' derived from Spanish 'angostura' (a narrow place); the name was applied to a narrow stretch of the Orinoco River and to the settlement there, and later came to be used for the local bitter bark and the aromatic bitters produced from it.
Initially it meant 'narrowness' or 'a narrow place', but over time it became a place-name and later the name associated with a bitter bark and the commercial aromatic bitters.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a historical place-name: originally a town (a narrow point on the Orinoco River) in Venezuela; historically called Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar).
Angostura was an important river port in the 19th century.
Noun 2
a brand/generic name for an aromatic concentrated bitter used as a flavoring in cocktails and cooking (Angostura bitters).
Add two dashes of Angostura to the old fashioned.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/13 06:35