mescal
|mes-cal|
/ˈmɛskəl/
distilled agave spirit
Etymology
'mescal' originates from Spanish, specifically the word 'mezcal', which in turn comes from Nahuatl 'mexcalli' meaning 'oven-cooked agave' or 'cooked agave product'.
'mexcalli' (Nahuatl) changed into Spanish 'mezcal'/'mescal,' and the word entered English as 'mescal' (also spelled 'mezcal').
Initially it referred to the cooked agave product ('oven-cooked agave'), but over time the term came to be used primarily for the distilled alcoholic spirit made from agave.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a Mexican distilled alcoholic beverage made from various species of agave; a smoky, agave-based spirit (variant spelling of 'mezcal').
He savored a smoky mescal after dinner.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the agave plant or the cooked agave material used to make the spirit (less common; refers to the raw material rather than the distilled drink).
They harvested the mescal and prepared it for fermentation.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/06 21:40