What is "absinthe"

Absinth \Ab"sinth`\, Absinthe \Ab"sinthe`\ ([a^]b"s[i^]nth`), n.

1. The plant absinthium or common wormwood.

2. A strong spirituous liqueur made from wormwood and brandy or alcohol.

   Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder.
   --Ernest Dowson

also absinth, alcoholic liqueur distilled from wine mixed with wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), 1842, from French absinthe, "essence of wormwood," from Latin absinthum "wormwood," from Greek apsinthion, perhaps from Persian (compare Persian aspand, of the same meaning). The plant so called in English from c.1500 (Old English used the word in the Latin form).

n. 1 The herb absinthium ''Artemisia absinthium'', (grande wormwood); essence of wormwood. (First attested around 1350 to 1470.)(R:SOED5: page=9) 2 (context figurative English) Bitterness; sorrow. (First attested around 1350 to 1470.) 3 (sense: alcohol) A distilled, highly alcoholic, anise-flavored liquor originally made from grande wormwood, anise, and other herbs. (First attested in the mid 19^th century.) 4 A moderate yellow green; absinthe green. (First attested in the late 19^th century.) (colour panel absinthe green 88c641) 5 (context US English) sagebrush

1. n. aromatic herb of temperate Eurasia and North Africa having a bitter taste used in making the liqueur absinthe [syn: common wormwood, old man, lad's love, Artemisia absinthium]

2. strong green liqueur flavored with wormwood and anise [syn: absinth]

Absinthe ( or ; French: ) is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic (45–74% ABV / 90–148 U.S. proof) beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but may also be colourless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as "" (the green fairy). Although it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a liqueur, absinthe is not traditionally bottled with added sugar; it is therefore classified as a spirit. Absinthe is traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water prior to being consumed.

Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers. Owing in part to its association with bohemian culture, the consumption of absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers.

Absinthe has often been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and hallucinogen. The chemical compound thujone, although present in the spirit in only trace amounts, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in much of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary. Although absinthe was vilified, it has not been demonstrated to be any more dangerous than ordinary spirits. Recent studies have shown that absinthe's psychoactive properties (apart from that of the alcohol) have been exaggerated. A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, following the adoption of modern European Union food and beverage laws that removed longstanding barriers to its production and sale. By the early 21st century, nearly 200 brands of absinthe were being produced in a dozen countries, most notably in France, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, and the Czech Republic.

Absinthe is a distilled alcoholic beverage.

Absinthe may also refer to:

Absinthe is a 1914 American silent drama film starring King Baggot and Leah Baird and directed by Herbert Brenon. Some sources also credit George Edwardes-Hall as a director.

Absinthe, also known as Absinthe - The French Album, is the eighth studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Some Bizzare in October 1993.

Absinthe is a 2012 American horror film starring Austin Lyon and directed by Justin Thomas Billings.

Absinthe is the final recording from the band Naked City. Unlike the band's other genre-mixing releases, the music on Absinthe is consistently in an ambient and noise style.

The titles of many of its tracks refer to the works of Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire and other figures in the fin de siècle Decadent movement, and to the drink after which the album is named.

The album's cover and liner notes feature photographs by the German Surrealist Hans Bellmer.

The album was also released as part of Naked City: The Complete Studio Recordings on Tzadik Records.

From the official description on the now defunct Avant website:

The final piece, "...Rend Fou", is six minutes of Frisell and Frith running their guitar jacks over the inputs of their guitars.

Absinthe is a live show presented in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show is hosted by The Gazillionaire, originally played by actor and former Cirque du Soleil clown Voki Kalfayan and his assistant, Penny Pibbets, portrayed by actress Anais Thomassian. In a 2011 interview in The Huffington Post writer Paul Carr stated that Anais Thomassian and Voki Kalfayan were both Armenian, "And, yes, they're a couple." The cast changed in December 2014, and the new Gazillionaire is supported by an assistant named Joy Jenkins, supposedly the cousin of Penny Pibbets. The characters are known for giving interviews without breaking role.

A contemporary circus, the show is described by Stage and Cinema as "an uneasy cross between terrific variety acts and a stag party."

Absinthe was first presented in 2006 in a tent at New York City's South Street Seaport. It has been playing on the forecourt of Caesars Palace since April 1, 2011. It is scheduled to close at Caesars Palace on October 21, 2016, after which it will reopen at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.