imbiber

im·bibe

 (ĭm-bīb′)

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 pō(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

---

im·bib′er n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

imbiber - a person who drinks alcoholic beverages (especially to excess) juicer, toper, drinker consumer - a person who uses goods or services bar fly - a drinker who frequents bars ale drinker, beer drinker - someone whose favorite drink is beer or ale drunk - someone who is intoxicated drunk, drunkard, inebriate, rummy, sot, wino - a chronic drinker guzzler - someone who drinks heavily (especially alcoholic beverages); "he's a beer guzzler every night" moderationist - a moderate drinker (as opposed to a total abstainer) bacchanal, bacchant, drunken reveler, drunken reveller - someone who engages in drinking bouts social drinker, tippler - someone who drinks liquor repeatedly in small quantities carouser, wassailer - someone who enjoys riotous drinking