tipple

¹

[ tip-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, tip·pled, tip·pling.

1. to drink intoxicating liquor, especially habitually or to some excess.

verb (used with object)

, tip·pled, tip·pling.

1. to drink (intoxicating liquor), especially repeatedly, in small quantities.

noun

1. intoxicating liquor.

tipple

²

[ tip-uhl ]

noun

1. a device that tilts or overturns a freight car to dump its contents.
2. a place where loaded cars are emptied by tipping.
3. Mining. a structure where coal is cleaned and loaded in railroad cars or trucks.

tipple

¹

/ ˈtɪpəl /

noun

1. a device for overturning ore trucks, mine cars, etc, so that they discharge their load
2. a place at which such trucks are tipped and unloaded

verb

1. dialect.
   to fall or cause to fall

tipple

²

/ ˈtɪpəl /

verb

1. to make a habit of taking (alcoholic drink), esp in small quantities

noun

1. alcoholic drink

Derived Forms

• ˈtippler, noun

Other Words From

• un·tippled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tipple¹

1490–1500; back formation from Middle English tipeler tapster, equivalent to tipel- tap ² (cognate with Dutch tepel teat) + -er -er ¹; tipsy

Origin of tipple²

1875–80, Americanism; noun use of dial. tipple to tumble, frequentative of tip ²; -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of tipple¹

C19: from tipple to overturn, from tip ²

Origin of tipple²

C15: back formation from obsolete tippler tapster, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

As a young man, he began with the “dirty, nasty job” of cleaning the tipple — sweeping the coal dust from the warehouse where the coal was stored.

From Washington Post

Long considered the most British of tipples, gin has now gone truly global, with iterations springing up from Asia, Australia, South America and Africa.

From Washington Post

You can sip Skagit Valley or enjoy a tipple that started out in a faraway corn field high in the uplands of southern Mexico.

From The Daily Beast

All I meant to say was, that champagne is very pretty tipple; and so thought the dinner party, who were proportionally enlivened.

From Project Gutenberg

Spoken of people who are so much accustomed to tipple, that they never seem any the worse of it.

From Project Gutenberg

Brother Jucundus went along the range of barrels trying one tipple after another.

From Project Gutenberg

He knew the good sap-days, and was on hand promptly for his tipple; cold and cloudy days he did not appear.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the only tipple I know of that leaves no headache the next morning to punish you for the glories of the past night.

From Project Gutenberg