libation

L1I1B3A1T1I1O1N1
/laɪˈbeɪʃən/

noun

The act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

UncommonScrabble 10

Meanings

nounlibation (countable and uncountable, plural libations)

plural libations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

    While we to Jove the pure libations pay, Than Jove what apter claims the hallow'd lay?

    1755, Callimachus, “The First Hymn of Callimachus. To Jupiter.”, in William Dodd, transl., The Hymns of Callimachus, […], London: […] The translator [William Dodd], […], →OCLC, page 1

    Synonyms: tip, tipping

  2. countableuncountableThe wine or liquid thus poured out.
  3. countablehumorousoftenuncountableA beverage, especially an alcoholic one.

    […] watching you, the waiters, not quite making eye-contact but scanning for any little way to be of service, plus plum-jacketed sommeliers walking around to see if you need a non-buffet libation…

    1997, David Foster Wallace, “A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again”, in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, Kindle edition, Little, Brown Book Group
    1 more example

    What's more, Swedish researchers found that the fat and fiber in nuts slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. This can help smooth out the effects of moderate alcohol consumption. For best results, try to eat about 15 minutes before taking your first libation.

    2007 November, Elizabeth Drake, “Combine and conquer: Use these winning food pairings to protect your health”, in Men's Health, volume 22, number 9, →ISSN, page 126

    Synonyms: adult beverage, alcohol, bevvy, booze, carouse, drink, fuddling, grog

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe act of pouring a liquid, most often wine, in sacrifice on the ground, on a ritual object, or on a victim, in honor of some deity.

Similar

Origin

  1. Latinlībātiō
  2. Englishlibation

From Latin lībātiō, from lībāre (“to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans drankoffer
  • drankofferact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Ancient Greek σπονδή, λοιβήή
  • σπονδή (spondḗ)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • λοιβήή (loibḗḗ)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • χοή (khoḗ)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Bengali তর্পণ, তর্পণ
  • তর্পণ (torpon)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • তর্পণ (torpon)liquid poured out
  • তর্পণ (torpon)alcoholic beverage
Catalan libació, libació
  • libacióact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libacióliquid poured out
Chinese Mandarin 奠, 奠酒
  • 奠 (diàn)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 奠酒 (diànjiǔ)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 獻酒 /献酒 (xiànjiǔ)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 奠祭 (diànjì)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Czech úlitba
  • úlitbaact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Danish drikoffer
  • drikofferact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Dutch plengoffer, plengoffer
  • plengofferact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • plengofferliquid poured out
  • plengofferalcoholic beverage
Esperanto trinki
  • trinkialcoholic beverage
Estonian jook ohver
  • jook ohveract of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Finnish juomauhri, juomauhri
  • juomauhriact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • juomauhriliquid poured out
  • ryyppyalcoholic beverage
French libation, libation
  • libationact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libationalcoholic beverage
German Trankopfer, Libation
  • Trankopferact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • Libationact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • Opferweinliquid poured out
  • Drinkalcoholic beverage
  • Getränkalcoholic beverage
Greek σπονδή
  • σπονδή (spondí)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Hebrew נסך, נסך
  • נסךact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • נסךliquid poured out
Hindi मदिरा, मदिरा
  • मदिरा (madirā)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • मदिरा (madirā)alcoholic beverage
Hungarian italáldozat, boráldozat
  • italáldozatact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • boráldozatact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • italáldozatliquid poured out
  • boráldozatliquid poured out
  • szeszesitalalcoholic beverage
Italian libagione, libamento
  • libagioneact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libamentoact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libamentoliquid poured out
Japanese 献酒, 神酒
  • 献酒 (kenshu)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 神酒act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 酒 (sake)alcoholic beverage
Korean 신주, 헌주
  • 신주 (sinju)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • 헌주 (heonju)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Latin libatio
  • libatioact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Latvian iedzeršana, iedzeršana
  • iedzeršanaact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • iedzeršanaalcoholic beverage
Norwegian drikkofferet
  • drikkofferetact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Persian نثار, زور
  • نثار (nesâr)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • زور (zowr)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • زوهر (zuhr)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Polish libacja
  • libacjaact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Portuguese libação, libação
  • libaçãoact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libaçãoliquid poured out
  • bebidaalcoholic beverage
  • libaçãoalcoholic beverage
Russian возлия́ние, либа́ция
  • возлия́ние (vozlijánije)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • либа́ция (libácija)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • вы́пивка (výpivka)alcoholic beverage
Scottish Gaelic deoch-ìobairt, deoch-ìobairt
  • deoch-ìobairtact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • deoch-ìobairtliquid poured out
Spanish libación, libación
  • libaciónact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libaciónalcoholic beverage
Swedish dryckesoffer, libation
  • dryckesofferact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • libationact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • offerdryckliquid poured out
  • libationliquid poured out
  • offervinliquid poured out
Thai การดื่มสุรา, การดื่มสุรา
  • การดื่มสุรา (gaan dèum sùraa)act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
  • การดื่มสุรา (gaan dèum sùraa)alcoholic beverage
Turkish libasyon
  • libasyonact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice
Vietnamese sự rảy ra
  • sự rảy raact of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with libation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

libation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/libation

MLA

“libation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/libation. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “libation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/libation.

Source: libation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.