quaff
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
an act or instance of quaffing.
-
a beverage quaffed.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quaff
First recorded in 1515–25; origin uncertain
Explanation
To quaff is to gulp. You’re in a desert; you haven’t had water in days; you’re wicked thirsty. Then you find an oasis! You lean over and quaff the water. If you’re in a room with your favorite foods, you might stuff the food into your mouth. Quaffing is the same fun, but with beverages instead of foods. But just like with stuffing food, quaffing means you drink a little too much. Often, quaffing refers to alcoholic drinks, but it can mean any beverage in general, like milkshakes. Quaff a milkshake and you’ll get a headache, but you’ll have fun doing it.
Vocabulary lists containing quaff
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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Twelfth Night
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unruly salt-and-pepper hair in a long quaff, round glasses and broad smile give James Ortiz the look of a whimsical inventor, the kind that hides away in his workshop crafting extraordinary artifacts.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
I mix it with good ginger beer and a thick lime wedge for a spritz-like quaff that leaves a pleasant tingle on my lips.
From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2021
Rich guys like him can quaff as many $1,000 bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2009 as they want, with twice as many calories per cup as Cherry Dr. Pepper.
From Salon • Feb. 3, 2019
Some visitors to Venice daydream in rocking gondolas; some sit in their favorite campiello and quaff spritzes all afternoon.
From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2018
I'm in the midst of taking a quaff of my ale and I nearly spit it all over the table.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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.
