命の水
Meanings
1
water of life; life-giving water
Literal or figurative water that sustains life. Often used in religious, mythological, or poetic contexts.
The oasis we found in the desert was truly the water of life.
2
Idiomatic expression for strong distilled alcohol such as brandy or whisky, likening it to life-giving water.
He downed some whisky, calling it the water of life, to revive his tired body.
3
archaicidiomatic expression
Archaic euphemism for semen, now rarely used outside historical or literary contexts.
In old texts, 命の水 can euphemistically refer to semen.