an alcoholic drink from China that is made from fermented rice and resembles sake
Word origin
C17: perhaps modification of Chinese shao chiu spirits that will burn, from shao to burn + chiu spirits
samshu in American English
(ˈsæmʃuː, -sjuː)
noun
a Chinese liqueur distilled from millet or rice
Word origin
[1690–1700; ‹ dial. Chin (Guangdong) sàam-sìu, akin to Chin sān shāo three boilings, brewings]This word is first recorded in the period 1690–1700. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: dogwatch, freshen, lifeline, migrate, smash