champagne
1 Americannoun
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(initial capital letter) the sparkling, dry, white table wine from the region of Champagne in France.
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a similar sparkling wine produced elsewhere.
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(formerly) the nonsparkling, dry, white table wine produced in the region of Champagne in France.
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a very pale yellow or greenish-yellow color.
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anything considered the best or luxurious.
adjective
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having the color of champagne.
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luxurious or expensive.
champagne tastes.
noun
noun
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(sometimes capital) a white sparkling wine produced around Reims and Epernay, France
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(loosely) any effervescent white wine
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a colour varying from a pale orange-yellow to a greyish-yellow
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( as adjective )
a champagne carpet
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(modifier) denoting a luxurious lifestyle
a champagne capitalist
Etymology
Origin of champagne
First recorded in 1655–65; after Champagne
Explanation
Champagne is a bubbly white wine that people often drink to celebrate happy occasions. When you pull the cork out of a bottle of champagne, it makes a loud pop. Traditionally, the sparkling wine known as champagne came from a specific region of France and was made from certain grapes grown there. Some people now call any sparkling wine champagne, but most champagnes are made following certain rules and traditions. A champagne glass is called a flute, and it's tall and narrow with a long stem. The word champagne is short for vin de Champagne, "wine made in Champagne."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bottle of champagne to celebrate your son’s new home will also be tax exempt.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
While she was in the back of his cab, he gave her a glass of champagne, which she poured away while he was not looking, she recounted.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
While streaming is gaining steam with advertisers, media companies shouldn’t uncork the champagne just yet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
One shot shows Sophia Loren lifting a champagne glass beneath the adoring gaze of fans.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
He called for the butler to bring champagne and glasses for everyone, right there in the foyer, so they could toast Rowan’s audacity.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.