quaff

[kwof, kwaf, kwawf]

verb (used without object)

to drink a beverage, especially an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.

verb (used with object)

to drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily: We spent the whole evening quaffing ale.

noun

an act or instance of quaffing.
a beverage quaffed.

Origin of quaff

First recorded in 1515–25; origin uncertain

Related formsquaff·er, nounout·quaff, verb (used with object)un·quaffed, adjective

Synonyms for quaff

1. swallow, gulp, swig, guzzle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for quaffed

sip, swill, imbibe, swig, gulp, guzzle, toss, partake, down, ingurgitate, sup, swallow

Examples from the Web for quaffed

Historical Examples of quaffed

Wherever there was a knot of midnight roisterers, they quaffed her health.
The Sister Years (From "Twice Told Tales")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
There they talked of the day's shooting as they ate their meat and quaffed their ale.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
Yes, all his evil came from that laugh of hers which he had quaffed.
Abbe Mouret's Transgression
Emile Zola
She quaffed the liquid, and returned the goblet to his hand.
Masterpieces of Mystery
Various
I sat by the fire-end and quaffed my ale, no one saying more to me for a little than "There you are!"
John Splendid
Neil Munro

British Dictionary definitions for quaffed

quaff

verb

to drink heartily or in one draught

Derived Formsquaffable, adjectivequaffer, noun

Word Origin for quaff

C16: perhaps of imitative origin; compare Middle Low German quassen to eat or drink excessively

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

Word Origin and History for quaffed

quaff

1510s (implied in quaffer), perhaps imitative, or perhaps from Low German quassen "to overindulge (in food and drink)," with -ss- misread as -ff-. Related: Quaffed; quaffing. The noun is attested by 1570s, from the verb.