teetotal

[ tee-toht-l, tee-toht-l ]

/ tiˈtoʊt l, ˈtiˌtoʊt l /

adjective

of or relating to, advocating, or pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drink.

Informal. absolute; complete.

verb (used without object), tee·to·taled, tee·to·tal·ing or (especially British) tee·to·talled, tee·to·tal·ling.

Words nearby teetotal

teether, teething, teething ring, teething troubles, teethridge, teetotal, teetotaler, teetotalism, teetotum, teevee, tef

Origin of teetotal

reduplicated variant of total, coined by R. Turner, of Preston, England, in 1833, in a speech advocating total abstinence from alcoholic drinks

OTHER WORDS FROM teetotal

tee·to·tal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for teetotal

Thenceforward for nearly a fortnight we saw nothing of our teetotal skipper.
The Log of a Sea-Waif|Frank T. Bullen
This reminds me, by-the-bye, of a teetotal turnkey at Coldbath Fields.
The Life Of George Cruikshank, Vol. II. (of II)|Blanchard Jerrold
They have to ponder over the teetotal vote, and they have to be very careful that they do not offend the licensed victuallers.
Wit and Wisdom of Lord Tredegar|Godfrey Charles Morgan
Now, I am not aware that teetotal apostles keep watch on your frontiers.
Freeland|Theodor Hertzka

But this surely would place America's teetotal navy in a very awkward predicament.
Punch, or the London Charivari, May 6, 1914|Various

British Dictionary definitions for teetotal

teetotal

/ (tiːˈtəʊtəl) /

adjective

of, relating to, or practising abstinence from alcoholic drink

dialect complete

Derived forms of teetotal

teetotaller, nounteetotally, adverbteetotalism, noun

Word Origin for teetotal

C19: allegedly coined in 1833 by Richard Turner, English advocate of total abstinence from alcoholic liquors; probably from total, with emphatic reduplication

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