imbibe

im·bibe  (m-bb)

v. im·bibed, im·bib·ing, im·bibes

v.tr.

1. To drink.

2. To absorb or take in as if by drinking: "The whole body . . . imbibes delight through every pore" (Henry David Thoreau).

3. To receive and absorb into the mind: "Gladstone had . . . imbibed a strong prejudice against Americans" (Philip Magnus).

4. Obsolete To permeate; saturate.

v.intr.

To drink alcoholic beverages.

---

[Middle English embiben, to soak up, saturate, from Latin imbibere, to drink in, imbibe : in-, in; see in-² + bibere, to drink; see p(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

---

im·biber n.

---

imbibe

Verb

[-bibing, -bibed] Formal

1. to drink (alcoholic drinks)

2. to take in or assimilate (ideas): values she had imbibed as a child [Latin imbibere]

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	imbibe - take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" soak up, sop up, suck up, absorb, suck, take up, take in, draw mop, mop up, wipe up - to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop; "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel" blot - dry (ink) with blotting paper sponge up - absorb as if with a sponge; "sponge up the spilled milk on the counter"
	2.	imbibe - take (gas, light or heat) into a solution assimilate absorb - become imbued; "The liquids, light, and gases absorb"
	3.	imbibe - take in liquids; "The patient must drink several liters each day"; "The children like to drink soda" drink ingest, consume, have, take in, take - serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee" swill down, swill - drink large quantities of (liquid, especially alcoholic drink) suck - draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth; "suck the poison from the place where the snake bit"; "suck on a straw"; "the baby sucked on the mother's breast" guggle, gurgle - drink from a flask with a gurgling sound sip - drink in sips; "She was sipping her tea" guzzle - drink greedily or as if with great thirst; "The boys guzzled the cheap vodka" lap up, lick, lap - take up with the tongue; "The cat lapped up the milk"; "the cub licked the milk from its mother's breast" drain the cup, drink up - drink to the last drop; "drink up--there's more wine coming" gulp, quaff, swig - to swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught; "The men gulped down their beers" belt down, bolt down, down, drink down, pour down, toss off, pop, kill - drink down entirely; "He downed three martinis before dinner"; "She killed a bottle of brandy that night"; "They popped a few beer after work"
	4.	imbibe - receive into the mind and retain; "Imbibe ethical principles" assimilate, ingest, absorb, take in - take up mentally; "he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe"

---

imbibe

verb 1. (Formal) drink, consume, knock back (informal) sink (informal) swallow, suck, swig (informal) quaff

verb 2. absorb, receive, take in, gain, gather, acquire, assimilate, ingest