Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

libation

/laɪˈbeɪʃən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.20 in modern English

Syllables: li-ba-tion
IPA: /laɪˈbeɪʃən/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

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.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The wine or liquid thus poured out.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A beverage, especially an alcoholic one.

Countable; Humorous; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"While we to Jove the pure libations pay, Than Jove what apter claims the hallow'd lay?"
"[…] 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…"
"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."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: lībātiō

Usage

Inflected Forms

libations (plural)

Derived Forms

libational libationary libatious

Frequently Paired Words

libate libationer potation

Synonyms

tip tipping adult beverage alcohol bevvy booze carouse drink fuddling grog hard drink libation

Rhymes With

information education situation population station association administration operation organization head station nation location

Questions

How do you pronounce libation?: The recorded pronunciation is /laɪˈbeɪʃən/.
What does libation mean?: 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.
Where does libation come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce libation

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “libation”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/laɪˈbeɪʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “libation”.
Repeat and practice — Say “libation” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.