Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) illicitly distilled whisky.

1923		J. Toomer Cane (1951) 37: Soda bottles, five fingers full of shine, are passed to those want them [DARE].
1929		E. Wheelan Don. K. Haughty [comic strip] All day I maka da shine.
1929		L. Axley ‘“Drunk” Again’ in AS IV:6 440: Some names for intoxicants of various grades and potencies are: moonshine, or more commonly, ’shine.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 168: Shine. – Liquor, especially that manufactured or imported without the law.
1952		C. Hamilton Men of the Und. 185: A jobber who bottled the shine.
1963		G. Carson Social Hist. Bourbon 113: ‘Is your father around, sonny?’ ‘Nope. Pap’s up thar makin.’ ‘Makin’?’ ‘You know – ’shine.’ [DARE].
1965		D. Pearce Cool Hand Luke (1967) 185: Ah got an uncle that can git us a jog o’ shine.
1977		H. Crews Feast of Snakes 25: You can git me a tallboy and a glass of that shine.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 42: Got into my daddy’s shine out of the back of the barn.
2000		B. Bilger Noodling for Flatheads (2001) 100: It’s as if I’m back at the moonshiners’ reunion an the ’shine tasting has just been announced.
2012		T. Pluck ‘Summer of Blind Joe Death’ in Life During Wartime (2018) 160: Red’s Paw liked nothing better than to set on the porch with a jug of shine.

2. (US prison) homemade prison alcohol.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Shine: Homemade prison alcohol. See Pruno. (IL).