champagne
noun
the sparkling, dry, white table wine from the region of Champagne in France.
champagne
1 American
[sham-peyn]
/ ʃæmˈpeɪn /
noun
-
champagnes
plural
-
(initial capital letter) the sparkling, dry, white table wine from the region of Champagne in France.
-
a similar sparkling wine produced elsewhere.
-
(formerly) the nonsparkling, dry, white table wine produced in the region of Champagne in France.
-
a very pale yellow or greenish-yellow color.
-
anything considered the best or luxurious.
adjective
-
having the color of champagne.
-
luxurious or expensive.
champagne tastes.
Champagne
2
American
[sham-peyn, shahn -pan-yuh]
/ ʃæmˈpeɪn, ʃɑ̃ˈpan jə /
noun
champagne
British
/ ʃæmˈpeɪn /
noun
-
(sometimes capital) a white sparkling wine produced around Reims and Epernay, France
-
(loosely) any effervescent white wine
-
-
a colour varying from a pale orange-yellow to a greyish-yellow
-
( as adjective )
a champagne carpet
-
-
(modifier) denoting a luxurious lifestyle
a champagne capitalist
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Davis knows the noise is a champagne problem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
It "should prompt reflection on the champagne of tomorrow", he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Lacking champagne for the occasion, they poured orange soda on owner-coach-player Herm “Red” Klotz’s head.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
At the exclusive terminal for the rich and the famous at Los Angeles International Airport, passengers are greeted with champagne and caviar, then whisked directly to their planes in a customized BMW.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
It was Frank who brought me a plate of chicken and ham that I could not eat, and Frank who stood by my elbow with a glass of champagne I would not drink.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to address the European Union in Strasbourg, shortly after von der Leyen's proposal was made, was "to build the alliance of the future", Champagne said.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Champagne argued that Canada's strong fiscal position helped underpin its resilience, and the dispute with the US provided a "golden opportunity" to diversify.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Guests were served Champagne as they walked into a hotel ballroom, according to one guest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Canada is a safe place to invest "in a very uncertain world," Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told AFP Monday, ahead of a summit where the country is seeking an unprecedented influx of private-sector investment.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
Champagne bubbles over a tower of stacked glasses into a small golden well.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
"If they do, I have no choice but to charge a 100 percent tariff on all champagnes and all wines coming out of France," he was quoted as saying.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Italian winery owner Riccardo Pasqua says it was enjoying the very best non-vintage champagnes that inspired him to make Italy's first multi-year still white wine.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2025
Cristal's 2012 and 2013 champagnes were the most-traded bottles of the year overall, LiveTrade said, followed by leading fine wine, the 6,450-a-bottle Lafite Rothschild 2014.
From Reuters ● Dec. 24, 2021
"I've had a more difficult time when it came to champagnes and wines."
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2021
No Sauturnes or Hocks or champagnes for us fire worshippers in Arizona!
From Tonio, Son of the Sierras A Story of the Apache War by Charles J. Post
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.
