hootch

English

Noun

hootch (countable and uncountable, plural hootches)

1. (archaic) Alternative form of hooch (“type of drink”)
   • 1911, Robert W. Service, The Trail of '98‎^[1]:

     "I can't hold my hootch so well as I could a few summers ago--and many hard Falls.

   • 1920, Ralph S. Kendall, The Luck of the Mounted‎^[2]:

     "Th' few shots av hootch ye had tu throw inta yu' last night tu get ye're Dutch up must be makin' ye see double, me man.

   • 1922, Robert C. Benchley, Love Conquers All‎^[3]:

     The basic idea of "Rip Van Winkle" would lend itself admirably to Broadway treatment, for Mr. MacKaye has taken liberties, with the legend and introduced the topical idea of a Magic Flask, containing home-made hootch.

2. Alternative form of hooch (“military shelter”)
   • 1990, Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried:

     Eddie Diamond, the ranking NCO, made a small motion with his hand, and some of the others murmured a word or two, then they watched Mark Fossie pick up her suitcase and lead her by the arm down to the hootches.