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:
Jack had reached for a vol-au-vent, swallowed it whole in one bite, rinsed it down with a glass of champagne and seized center stage all in one action.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 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
As ever, Zendaya stole the show with a floor-length Tamara Ralph champagne silk crepe gown with spider webby straps, matching the white carpet in Leicester Square.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
For now, champagne corks ought to be popping in Islamabad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Genie, she took me back to the bar and we had more ginger beer, but this time in those skinny champagne glasses.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Customers are often greeted with Champagne and caviar and pampered with gourmet meals and massage treatments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Delight in rituals that engage the senses, like slowly moving a mouthful of Champagne around your tongue, or lighting palo santo in the dark and letting its smoke envelop you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Shredded rotisserie chicken, swiped with Boursin and tucked into the puff pastry you “always keep in the freezer” in case someone drops by with Champagne?
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
When Antoine Semenyo signed for Bournemouth, he sent former Leeds United manager David Hockaday a bottle of Champagne.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 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
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
A pint of ink could cost up to £1,300, making it pricier that some champagnes, its survey found.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2021
Messrs. Pfungst frères lay themselves out exclusively for the shipment of high-class champagnes, and the excellent growths of the Ay district necessarily form an important element in their carefully-composed cuvées.
From Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines by Henry Vizetelly
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.
