DCHP-2

rum DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

• 1 n.

  a generic term for spiritous liquor, often personified as in demon rum.

  • 1800  Many have labored to calumniate Rum, and render it unpopular, by dwelling on some of its supposed bad effects.
  • 1851  Rum and Negro hate [are] the two great public evils of our time. . . .
  • 1918  . . . no one will rejoice more than Oscar Dhu to see the demon rum utterly destroyed in Canada ere many moons.
  • 1957  Of these two foes we cannot say whether Rome or rum is the greater adversary of the pure Gospel.

• 2a n. — Fur Trade, Hist.

  spiritous liquor used in the Indian trade.

  See also: Indian liquor  rum trade  

  • 1797  (1964)  The Corbeaux . . . killed Six Cows which I paid him Eighteen Skins in Rum.
  • 1819  (1941)  . . . the whole Inmates of our Garrison assembled in the Hall . . . and were regaled . . . with a few flaggons Rum and some Cakes. . . .
  • 1861  This decision will prove an auxiliary to us, as the use of rum has hitherto greatly retarded our work.
  • 1871  He had been drinking "much rum," and got awfully mad.
  • 1963  A great many Indians were camped round the fort, waiting for Mr. Brazeau, whom Hector had met on his way to Edmonton, to come back with a supply of rum.

• 2b n. — Fur Trade, Hist.

  a gratuity paid, after 1821, to Indian trappers by the Hudson's Bay Company in place of the traditional regale (def. 3).

  See also: regale ((n.)) (def. 3)  

  • 1907  [The Indian trapper] was at liberty, after paying his debt, to trade whatever he fancied out of the shop to the extent of his "rum." But unless he paid his debt in full, the "Rum" he was entitled to went towards his account.