C20: shortened from Tlingit Hootchinoo, name of a tribe that distilled a type of liquor
Hooch in British English
or Hoogh (huːtʃ, Dutch hoːx)
noun
Pieter de (ˈpiːtər də). 1629–?1684, Dutch genre painter, noted esp for his light effects
Hooch in American English
(hoʊx)
ˈPieter de (ˈpitəʀ də) 1629?-84?; Du. painter
hooch in American English1
(huːtʃ)
noun slang
1.
alcoholic liquor
2.
liquor illicitly distilled and distributed
Also: hootch
Word origin
[1895–1900; shortening of hoochinoo]
hooch in American English2
(huːtʃ)
noun Military slang
1.
a thatched hut of southeast Asia
2.
any living quarters, as a barracks
3. (esp. during the Korean War)
a.
a prostitute's dwelling
b.
any place, as a house, room, or shack, where a serviceman sets up house with a local woman
Also: hootch, hoochie
Word origin
[1950–55 prob. ‹ Japn uchi house (by back formation, construing -i as -y2); initial h perh. by assoc. with hut or ‹ Ryukyuan dial. form of uchi with prothetic h-]
Examples of 'hooch' in a sentence
hooch
'The hooch had been brewed in secret and hidden before being drunk.
The Sun (2007)
'If they do drink hooch they can become violent and aggressive.