champagne

¹ American  

[sham-peyn] / ʃæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. (initial capital letter) the sparkling, dry, white table wine from the region of Champagne in France.

2. a similar sparkling wine produced elsewhere.

3. (formerly) the nonsparkling, dry, white table wine produced in the region of Champagne in France.

4. a very pale yellow or greenish-yellow color.

5. anything considered the best or luxurious.

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adjective

1. having the color of champagne.

2. luxurious or expensive.

   champagne tastes.

Champagne ² American  

[sham-peyn, shahn-pan-y^uh] / ʃæmˈpeɪn, ʃɑ̃ˈpan yə /

noun

1. a region and former province in NE France.

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champagne British  

/ ʃæmˈpeɪn /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) a white sparkling wine produced around Reims and Epernay, France

2. (loosely) any effervescent white wine

3. 1. a colour varying from a pale orange-yellow to a greyish-yellow

   2. ( as adjective )

      a champagne carpet

4. (modifier) denoting a luxurious lifestyle

   a champagne capitalist

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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

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

In the comments section of Skylight’s post announcing the big news, the who’s who of L.A.’s literati popped the proverbial champagne.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

Let’s raise a glass of champagne to you, your guests — and Uncle Sam.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

As the champagne corks popped around him, the five-time major champion was already speaking about how he believed finally landing the Masters would "free" him up for further success.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

When the news reached Burnham’s shanty, there were cheers and champagne and stories through the night.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• bubbly
• wine