moonshine

/ˈmunʃaɪn/
noun
  1. Alcoholic liquor, especially whiskey, that is made illegally or at home without a license.
    • The police found a hidden still where they were making moonshine in the woods.
    • Some people still make moonshine in rural areas and sell it secretly.
    • My grandfather used to tell stories about drinking moonshine during Prohibition.
  2. Foolish or unrealistic talk, ideas, or plans; nonsense.
    • Don't listen to that moonshine about getting rich without working.
    • The scientist dismissed the theory as scientific moonshine.
    • His promise to double everyone's salary in a month is pure moonshine.
  3. Moonlight; the light of the moon.
    • The cat sat on the fence, its fur glowing in the pale moonshine.
    • The old barn looked magical in the soft moonshine.
    • They took a walk by the river, guided only by the moonshine.
verb
  1. To make or sell illegal homemade liquor, especially whiskey.
    • The documentary shows how people still moonshine in remote mountain cabins.
    • He learned to moonshine from his uncle who had been doing it for decades.
    • During the 1920s, many farmers began to moonshine to earn extra money.