(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.
having the color of champagne.
luxurious or expensive.
champagne tastes.
(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
First recorded in 1655–65; after Champagne
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
One shot shows Sophia Loren lifting a champagne glass beneath the adoring gaze of fans.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
For her turn hosting, Leisz rented a boat — not quite a yacht, she clarifies — in Marina del Rey, paired with lobster rolls and champagne.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
When Robert emerges, to lift her spirits by offering a bottle of champagne to celebrate her birthday, Catherine steps warily out of her shell.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 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
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.
