Meaning & use
pot liquor
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountableregionalAmerican
the tasty liquid left in a pot after boiling vegetables, especially leafy greens, often eaten as a broth or used to flavor other food.
Grammar: Uncountable: you can say 'a bowl of pot liquor' but not 'a pot liquor'.
Patterns
- pot liquor from something
- cook something in pot liquor
- drink pot liquor
After the greens were done, she saved the pot liquor to dip her cornbread in.
The recipe says to use the pot liquor as a base for the soup.
In the South, pot liquor is sometimes served as a warm drink on cold days.
Common combinations
- pot liquor from collard greens
- He poured the pot liquor from collard greens over his rice.
- rich pot liquor
- The slow cooking gave the dish a rich pot liquor.
- save the pot liquor
- Don't throw away the pot liquor; save it for gravy.
- pot liquor broth
- She made a simple pot liquor broth with onions and garlic.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: pot liquor or pot luck?
pot liquor vs pot luck
Pot luck means a meal where guests bring whatever food they can, or a situation where you take a chance; it is not the same as pot liquor.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pot liquor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Pot liquor' is uncountable, so 'a pot liquor' (option 0) is wrong. It is a liquid from cooked greens, not a drink like juice (option 1), and it is not usually served with roast chicken (option 2). Option 3 correctly describes it as a liquid that can be too salty.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pot liquor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.