hooch

UK: 'hooch': /ˈhuːtʃ/; 'Hooch': English: /huːtʃ/, Dutch: /hoːx/

US: /hutʃ/

US: 'hooch': (ho̅o̅ch); 'Hooch': (ho̅o̅ch; Du. hōкн)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

hooch¹ or hootch /hutʃ/   n. [uncountable] [Slang.]

1. Slang Terms alcoholic liquor.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hooch¹  (ho̅o̅ch), n. [Slang.]

1. alcoholic liquor.
2. liquor illicitly distilled and distributed.

Also, hootch. 

• shortening of hoochinoo 1895–1900

hooch²  (ho̅o̅ch), n. [Mil. Slang.]

1. Military a thatched hut of southeast Asia.
2. Military any living quarters, as a barracks.
3. Military (esp. during the Korean War)
   • a prostitute's dwelling.
   • any place, as a house, room, or shack, where a serviceman sets up housekeeping with a local woman.

Also, hootch, hooch′ie. 

• Ryukyuan dialect, dialectal form of uchi with prothetic h-
• Japanese uchi house (by back formation, construing -i as -y²); initial h perh. by association with hut or
• 1950–55 probably

Hooch  (ho̅o̅ch; Du. hōкн), n. 

Pie•ter de  (pē′tər də; Du. pē′tər də), 1629?–88?, Dutch painter.Also, Hoogh. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hooch, hootch / huːtʃ/ noun

1. alcoholic drink, esp illicitly distilled spirits

Etymology: 20th Century: shortened from Tlingit Hootchinoo, name of a tribe that distilled a type of liquor

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Hooch, Hoogh / huːtʃ hoːx/ noun

1. Pieter de ( ˈpiːtər də ). 1629–?1684, Dutch genre painter, noted esp for his light effects