Meaning
High-strength white rum, well above the usual bottling strength (often around 63% alcohol) — the fierce, clear 'white rum' that is a fixture of Jamaican life. Overproof is drunk neat or mixed at bars and gatherings, but it is also splashed for the spirits at a wake, rubbed on the skin for a cold or fever, used in bush baths, and kept in every yard. Its raw power is legendary, and a little goes a long way.
Examples
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One shot a overproof strong yuh up.
One shot of overproof rum strengthens you.
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Dem splash overproof pon di ground fi di duppy.
They splash overproof rum on the ground for the spirits.
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Rub di overproof pon yuh chest fi di cold.
Rub the overproof rum on your chest for the cold.
Origin
From 'over' + 'proof' (above standard proof strength); high-strength white rum. See [[white-rum]], [[wake]].
How it’s used
High-strength white rum, for drinking, remedies, and ritual. See [[white-rum]], [[nine-night]].