A strong alcoholic drink made from sugar cane or molasses, especially popular in Caribbean cultures.
Origin unclear, but possibly from a shortening of 'rumbullion' (a tumult or uproar), or from the Romani/Sanskrit word 'rom' (strong). First documented in English around 1650 in Caribbean colonies.
Rum became famous through pirates and colonial trade, but the word itself is a mystery—'rumbullion' makes sense because drinking it probably caused quite the commotion!
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