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oenophile

[ ee-nuh-fahyl ]

noun

  1. a person who enjoys wines, usually as a connoisseur.


oenophile

/ ˈiːnəˌfaɪl /

noun

  1. a lover or connoisseur of wines
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • oe·no·phil·i·a [ee-n, uh, -, fil, -ee-, uh], noun
  • oeno·philic adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of oenophile1

1925–30; < French < Greek oîn ( os ) wine + -o- -o- + French -phile -phile
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Word History and Origins

Origin of oenophile1

C20: from Greek oinos wine + -phile
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Example Sentences

Give your fellow oenophile something different this year: Mexican wine.

"Drops of God" on Apple TV+ is not for everyone, but it's a gorgeously chilled masterwork focused on a contest to inherit the legacy of an oenophile.

From Salon

He wasn’t quite the oenophile she was, but he was cute, she thought.

Virginia’s wine community has long tied its story to Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s “first oenophile,” who famously believed that his native region could grow world-class wine, though his own attempts at Monticello failed.

And grapevine varieties were clearly carried great distances, eventually leading to the profusion of wine varieties enjoyed by modern oenophiles.

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More About Oenophile

What does oenophile mean?

An oenophile is a person who greatly enjoys wine and knows a lot about it; a wine lover.

An oenophile is considered a connoisseur of wine, meaning they don’t just like it—they love it and know a lot about it. Less commonly, oenophile is spelled œnophile or enophile.

Example: Brian is a true oenophile—he belongs to a wine tasting group and keeps his cellar stocked.

Where does oenophile come from?

The first recorded use of oenophile in English comes from the 1860s (when it was often spelled œnophile, using the combined character œ). Earlier forms of the word were used in French, which derived the word from Greek. It is formed from the Greek root oînos, meaning “wine,” and the suffix -phile, which is used to form nouns that mean “lover of,” as in bibliophile (book lover).

An oenophile usually has quite a bit of knowledge about wines. They’ll probably know how wine is made, which region a certain wine originates from, the best wine to pair with a particular food, and even which kind of glass is best to use for a specific type of wine. Perhaps above all, an oenophile loves the taste of wine and all its complexities—which they love to discuss. Have a question about the difference between a cab and a pinot? Ask an oenophile!

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms of oenophile?

  • oenophilia (noun)
  • oenophilic (adjective)
  • oenophilist (noun)
  • œnophile (alternate spelling)
  • enophile (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for oenophile?

  • wine lover

What are some words that share a root or word element with oenophile

What are some words that often get used in discussing oenophile?

How is oenophile used in real life?

Those who use the word oenophile are likely to be oenophiles themselves, which is evident from the way that they talk about wines and their different flavors and origins.

 

Try using oenophile!

Which of the following words is not related to oenophile?

A. winebibber
B.
connoisseur
C. barophile
D. winemaker

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