quaff

English

WOTD – 11 April 2006

Etymology

Attested since the mid 16th century, of uncertain origin. Suggestions include connection with Old Irish cuäch (cup, goblet, bowl; cauldron, large vessel; bowl, cup) (whence Scots quaich, queff). The noun is derived from the verb, since the later 16th century.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /kwɒf/
  • (US) IPA(key): /kwɑf/, /kwɔf/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɒf

Verb

quaff (third-person singular simple present quaffs, present participle quaffing, simple past and past participle quaffed)

  1. To drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts.
    • 1594 Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew i 2
      Please ye we may contrive this afternoon, / And quaff carouses to our mistress' health
    • 1667John Milton, Paradise Lost Book V
      They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet
      Quaff immortality and joy...
    • 1823, Mary Shelley, Valperga
      Sometimes the memory of her peaceful life at Florence obtruded itself upon her, and more than that, her charitable occupations when she attended the sick in that city, and whence, as from a rough-hewn chalice containing nectarian drink, she had quaffed happiness.
    • 1845Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven
      Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!
    • 1852Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment
      Even while quaffing the third draught of the Fountain of Youth, they were almost awed by the expression of his mysterious visage.
    • 2017 December 21, Gabriel Sherman, ““I Have Power”: Is Steve Bannon Running for President?”, in Vanity Fair:
      Bannon was padding around the room in a black blazer over two collared shirts, quaffing a can of Pocari Sweat, a popular Japanese energy drink.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Noun

quaff (plural quaffs)

  1. The act of quaffing, a deep draught.
  2. Misspelling of coif.
    • 1953 July, Theodore Sturgeon, “The World Well Lost”, in Universe Science Fiction, number 1, page 16; reprinted as “The World Well Lost”, in Thomas N. Scortia, editor, Strange Bedfellows: Sex and Science Fiction, New York: Random House, Inc, 1972, →ISBN, OCLC 00354310, page 56:
      There were loverbird songs and loverbird trinkets, loverbird hats and pins, bangles and baubles, coins and quaffs and tidbits.
    • 2013 June 19, Sarah Romanowski, “status update”, in Twitter:
      I'm actually gonna miss @sreizis and seeing him and his perfectly groomed quaff everyday in every class.
    • 2014 January 19, Ryan Arciero, “Miley Cyrus new hair: Bowl cut a fresh style for singer, mixed reactions so far”, in Examiner.com:
      The Miley Cyrus new hair photos reveal the former Hannah Montana star sporting a bowl cut of sorts that isn’t receiving all good news at this point. Cyrus revealed her new quaff this Tuesday with friends while relaxing outside a local Los Angeles recording studio.

Synonyms

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