Dictionary

tipple en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɪpəl/ (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Unknown but possibly from a Scandinavian source (see Norwegian tipla), or from tip + -le.

Meanings

1. (countable) An area near the entrance of mines which is used to load and unload coal.
2. (countable) An apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them; the place where this is done.
   • Alternative form: tippler
3. (countable, slang, uncountable) Any alcoholic drink.
   • I know nothing about vino nero, and have always vaguely thought it a tipple from Sicily. I have never associated it with Venice. 2015 April 22, Sam Jordison, quoting Jan Morris, “Jan Morris talks about Venice”, in The Guardian:
   • But not a drop to drink … Love Islanders are limited to two tipples a day. 2022 July 18, Amelia Tait, “‘Alcohol is a hand grenade’: how reality TV went from boozy Big Brother to nosecco Love Island”, in The Guardian:
   • What's your tipple? 2001, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, “New Girl”, in The Office, season 1, episode 5 (television production), spoken by David Brent (Ricky Gervais):
   • The comedian would have divers bottles of tipple hidden under bushes and in crannies around his house, and would select guests to embark on his idea of a treasure hunt. 1974, Raoul Walsh, “Hail to the Chief”, in Each Man in His Time: The Life Story of a Director, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →LCCN, page 254:

Forms

Synonyms

potent potable · carouse · strong drink · adult beverage · lush · libation · alcohol · booze · potation · tiddly · grog · tipple · liquor · strong water · nightcap · tincture · bevvy · hard drink · fuddling · shot · drink · sauce

Translations (39)

fr jaja (slang: any alcoholic drink) · es volquete (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · hu lámpás (slang: any alcoholic drink) · de Kippstelle (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · fr canon (slang: any alcoholic drink) · de Abladestelle (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · fr verre (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fr carreau (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · fr bibine (slang: any alcoholic drink) · es chiquito (slang: any alcoholic drink) · pl wywrotnica (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · de Kipphalde (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · es era (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · fr chopine (slang: any alcoholic drink) · de Kippvorrichtung (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · fi napanteri (slang: any alcoholic drink) · pl trunek (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fr goutte (slang: any alcoholic drink) · pl sortownia (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · ru спотыка́ч (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fr benne basculante (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · ru напи́ток (slang: any alcoholic drink) · ru бухло (slang: any alcoholic drink) · bg питие (slang: any alcoholic drink) · es chato (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fi paukku (slang: any alcoholic drink) · cs alkohol (slang: any alcoholic drink) · cs chlast (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fr pinte (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fr coup (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fi vaununkaatolaite (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · hu pia (slang: any alcoholic drink) · es copa (slang: any alcoholic drink) · bg обръщач (apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them) · es trago (slang: any alcoholic drink) · fi kuormausalue (area near the entrance of mines used to load and unload coal) · es bebistrajo (slang: any alcoholic drink) · es botella (slang: any alcoholic drink) · cs pití (slang: any alcoholic drink)

tipple en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɪpəl/ (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Unknown but possibly from a Scandinavian source (see Norwegian tipla), or from tip + -le.

Meanings

1. To sell alcoholic liquor by retail.
2. (ambitransitive) To drink too much alcohol.
3. (intransitive) To drink alcohol regularly or habitually, but not to excess.
   • Few of those who were summoned left their homes, and those few generally found it more agreeable to tipple in alehouses than to pace the streets. 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter III, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
4. (transitive) To put up (hay, etc.) in bundles in order to dry it.
5. (intransitive) To fall over; to topple.
   • After taking a few moments to recover he turned and meandered towards the closest Supergun, ramming it from the side and watching as it tippled over. 2017, Christopher Lee, Margaret the Abomination:
   • The men had only moved the trailer about a yard when suddenly it tippled over on its side, and bales of cotton fell on Howarth. 1928, The World's Carriers and Carrying Trades' Review, page 476:

Forms

Deriveds

tippler · tipply

Synonyms

bibble

Translations (43)

ru нажираться (To drink too much alcohol) · cs chlastat (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · cs nasávat (To drink too much alcohol) · hu iddogál (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · pl sprzedawać alkohol (To sell alcoholic liquor by retail) · es pimplar (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · es mojar la canal maestra (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · sv dricka (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · es soplar (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · sv supa (To drink too much alcohol) · pl sprzedać alkohol (To sell alcoholic liquor by retail) · es empinar el codo (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · pl upić się (To drink too much alcohol) · fi juopotella (To drink too much alcohol) · sv pimpla (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · de ausschenken (To sell alcoholic liquor by retail) · bg пия (To drink too much alcohol) · hu iszogat (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · es tomar (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · hu pityizál (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · pl popijać (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fr boire comme un Polonais (To drink too much alcohol) · fr s'humecter la luette (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fr picoler (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fi anniskella (To sell alcoholic liquor by retail) · pl popić (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · ru выпива́ть (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fr biberonner (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · es beber como un cosaco (To drink too much alcohol) · bg пийвам (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · es copear (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fr boire comme un trou (To drink too much alcohol) · pl upijać się (To drink too much alcohol) · es trincar (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · izh rallittaa (To drink too much alcohol) · fr lever le coude (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · de picheln (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fi tissutella (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · fr boire (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · sv utskänka (To sell alcoholic liquor by retail) · cs nasávat (to drink alcohol regularly, but not to excess) · cs chlastat (To drink too much alcohol) · ru пьянствовать (To drink too much alcohol)