1878 National Police Gaz. (U.S.) 2 Nov. 11/2 The term ‘moonshining’ originated in the early days of illicit distilling simply from the fact that these distilleries were operated during the dark hours..when the moon is the ruling luminary.

1883 ‘S. Bonner’ Dial. Tales 183 You can't stop moonshinin' 's long's there's an honest man in Old Hickory's State.

1895 Chicago Advance 6 June 1285/3 A young man speaking at a temperance meeting while his brother is in the penitentiary for ‘moonshining’.

1946 G. Wilson Fidelity Folks 54 He stoutly maintained that a regulated open saloon was to be preferred to the evils of moonshining and boot-legging.

1978 Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. (Parade Suppl.) 17/3 Moonshining, the illegal manufacture of alcoholic beverages, has become a cottage industry.

1997 Guardian 30 Jan. i. 9/1 Police and customs raided a barn in the Welsh countryside and nipped in the bud a whisky moonshining operation... It was described as Wales's biggest moonshining attempt.

1638 J. Clarke Phraseologia Puerilis sig. B4 Nox erat sublustris. It was a Moone shining night.

1651 J. F. tr. H. C. Agrippa Three Bks. Occult Philos. 449 In Philostratus we read, when Apollonius, and his companions were travelling in a bright Moon-shining night, that the Phantasme of a Hagge met them.

1710 R. Ward Life H. More 134 Lying one Moon-shining Night in the Cradle awake, he was taken up thence.

1786 E. Inchbald I'll tell you What iv. i. 60 It was a fine moon-shining night, last night.

1828 Lights & Shades Eng. Life II. 231 Jack and myself went thither on a moonshining Monday.