Meanings
- figurativelyuncountablelifestyleSpiritual refreshment.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of aqua vitae, a distilled spirit.
nounSynonym of whisky/whiskey.
Origin
- Medieval Latinaqua vītae
- Englishwater of life
Chiefly a calque of Medieval Latin aqua vītae directly and via Scottish Gaelic uisge-beatha and Irish uisce beatha. Compare akvavit, aquavit, aqua vitae, eau de vie, whisky, and whiskey from the same sources. Compare also vodka, whose (borrowed) roots also refer to a special kind of water, as it were.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
water of life. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20of%20life
“water of life.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20of%20life. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “water of life,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/water%20of%20life.
Source: water of life on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.