/ drɪŋk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C , U ] a liquid for drinking; an amount of a liquid that you drink :
Can I have a drink ?
soft drinks (= cold drinks without alcohol)
a drink of water
food and drink
She took a drink from the glass and then put it down.
2.
[ C , U ] alcohol or an alcoholic drink; sth that you drink on a social occasion :
They went for a drink .
The drinks are on me (= I'll pay for them) .
I need a stiff drink (= a very strong drink) .
( BrE )
He's got a drink problem .
( NAmE )
He has a drinking problem .
( humorous )
The children are enough to drive me to drink .
( BrE )
They came home the worse for drink (= drunk) .
She took to drink (= drank too much alcohol) after her marriage broke up.
3.
drinks [ pl. ] ( BrE ) a social occasion where you have alcoholic drinks :
Would you like to come for drinks on Sunday?
a drinks party
•
IDIOMS
see demon , meat
■ verb ( drank / dræŋk; NAmE /, drunk / drʌŋk; NAmE /)
1.
to take liquid into your mouth and swallow it :
[ v ]
What would you like to drink?
[ vn ]
In hot weather, drink plenty of water.
I don't drink coffee.
2.
to drink alcohol, especially when it is done regularly :
[ v ]
He doesn't drink.
Don't drink and drive (= drive a car after drinking alcohol) .
She's been drinking heavily since she lost her job.
[ vn ]
I drank far too much last night.
[ vn - adj ]
He had drunk himself unconscious on vodka.
—see also drunk
•
IDIOMS
- drink sb's health
- drink like a fish
- drink sb under the table
—more at eat , horse noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- drink sth in
- drink to sb/sth
- drink up | drink (sth) up
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English drincan (verb), drinc (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drinken and German trinken .