- quaff
- quaff (v.) 1510s (implied in quaffer), perhaps onomatopoeic, or perhaps from Low Ger. quassen "to overindulge (in food and drink)," with -ss- misread as -ff-. Related: Quaffed; quaffing. The noun is from 1570s.
Etymology dictionary. 2014.
quaff
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Quaff — Quaff, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Quaffed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Quaffing}.] [For quach, fr. Gael. & Ir. cuach a drinking cup; cf. L. caucus a drinking vessel. Cf. {Quaigh}.] To drink with relish; to drink copiously of; to swallow in large draughts.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Quaff — Quaff, v. i. To drink largely or luxuriously. [1913 Webster] Twelve days the gods their solemn revels keep, And quaff with blameless Ethiops in the deep. Dryden. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
quaff — quaff·er; quaff·ing·ly; quaff; … English syllables
quaff — index carouse Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
quaff — [kwɔf, kwa:f US kwa:f, kwæf] v [T] literary to drink a lot of something quickly = ↑knock back ▪ Wedding guests quaffed champagne … Dictionary of contemporary English
quaff — [ kwaf ] verb transitive MAINLY LITERARY to drink something quickly or with a lot of enjoyment … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
quaff — [v] drink down down, gulp, guzzle, imbibe, ingurgitate, partake, sip, sup, swallow, swig, swill, toss; concept 169 Ant. eject … New thesaurus
quaff — ► VERB ▪ drink heartily. DERIVATIVES quaffable adjective quaffer noun. ORIGIN probably imitative … English terms dictionary
quaff — [kwäf, kwaf] vt., vi. [Early ModE, prob. (by misreading of ss as ff ) < LowG quassen, to overindulge (in food and drink)] to drink deeply in a hearty or thirsty way n. 1. the act of quaffing 2. a drink that is quaffed quaffer n … English World dictionary
quaff|er — «KWAHF uhr, KWAF , KWAWF », noun. a person who quaffs or drinks deeply … Useful english dictionary
