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

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

As many of you who clock dozens of business flights a year know, predeparture champagne and the most comfortable lie-flat seat aren’t going to save the day if you can’t work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

"In the supermarket, you find luxury products, sea urchins or Dom Perignon champagne, and vegetables have become extremely expensive," pushing some people to do their shopping in a neighbouring town.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

But read the fine print before you pop the champagne.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 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