pruno
Noun: A crude, illicit alcoholic beverage, typically fermented by prison inmates from a mixture of available ingredients such as fruit, sugar, and other starchy or sugary components.
The word "pruno" is used specifically to refer to the homemade alcoholic drink produced in prisons. It describes the product itself, not the act of making it. * The guards discovered a batch of pruno hidden in the cell. * Making pruno is a common but dangerous violation of prison rules.
- As an uncountable noun: "Pruno" is generally used as a mass noun, referring to the substance rather than individual servings.
- They were caught with pruno.
- As a countable noun (less common): It can sometimes be pluralized to refer to multiple batches or types.
- Different gangs had their own recipes for prunos.
- Pruno is the standard term. Related slang terms for similar illicit prison alcohol include "hooch" or "brew."
- Hooch: Informal term for cheap, illegally made alcohol.
- Moonshine: Illegally distilled high-proof alcohol, typically made outside of prisons.
- Homebrew: Any alcoholic beverage made at home, though not necessarily illicit.
The defining characteristic of "pruno" is its origin as a prison-made substance. While the reference definition lists specific ingredients like prunes, raisins, milk, and sugar, the term broadly applies to any such prison fermentation, which can include a wide variety of available food items (e.g., fruit cocktail, ketchup, bread). Its production is associated with unsanitary conditions and potential health risks.
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a liquor concocted from a mixture of ingredients (such as prunes and raisins and milk and sugar) that can be fermented to produce alcohol; made by prison inmates
