tipple

¹

[tip-uhl]

verb (used without object)

tippled, tippling 

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

verb (used with object)

tippled, tippling 

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

Other Word Forms

• tippler noun
• untippled 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, 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

The Queen also revealed that the Vesper Martini, which was invented by author Ian Fleming as James Bond's drink of choice, was a favourite tipple of the "much missed" Dame Jilly.

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Scotch whiskey used to be fairly simple, a blend of middle-of-the road tipples.

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“The tipple of Hong Kong,” according to Hahn.

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They found that while a tipple before bedtime may get you off to sleep faster, it can disrupt your night.

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But enforcement was lax anyway, not least because the police themselves liked a tipple.

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