booze

[booz]

noun

1. any alcoholic beverage; whiskey.

2. a drinking bout or spree.

verb (used without object)

boozed, boozing 

1. to drink alcohol, especially to excess.

   He continued to booze until his health finally gave out.

booze

/ buːz /

noun

1. alcoholic drink

2. a drinking bout or party

verb

1. (usually intr) to drink (alcohol), esp in excess

Other Word Forms

• boozer noun
• boozed adjective
• boozing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of booze¹

1610–20; respelling of bouse ², reflecting one of its pronunciation variants

Word History and Origins

Origin of booze¹

C13: from Middle Dutch būsen

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. booze it up, to drink heavily and persistently.

Example Sentences

Kicking booze meant spending time with what she calls her “shadow self,” facing down her fears and anxieties without a protective barrier.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s trying to lay off both the booze and the teenage girls, but his feverish condition spells trouble ahead.

From Los Angeles Times

Everything onscreen has been coated in graffiti, booze or bodily fluids.

From Los Angeles Times

She’d rather spend her money on food and booze and travel.

From Los Angeles Times

Hungover from an almighty boozing session in Hong Kong, the Lions took a hellish flight to Brisbane for a warm-up game against Queensland.

From BBC

Related Words

• alcohol