Agency Dictionary
posca
nounPronunciation: /ˈpɒs.kə/
In Portuguese: posca
History & CivilizationsWhat does “posca” mean?
A popular Roman beverage made by mixing sour wine or vinegar with water, often flavored with aromatic herbs and consumed by soldiers and laborers.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin posca, the name of the beverage. The Latin word is connected to pōtō (to drink) and was formed in the pattern of ēsca (food, what is eaten).
Usage note
Posca was the standard drink of Roman soldiers and workers. The acidity of the sour wine or vinegar is thought to have made it safer to drink than untreated water.
Usage examples
Weakness: cheap wine was often sour, and the poor drank posca, vinegar mixed with water.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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