tipple

¹

[tip-uhl]

verb (used without object)

tippled, tippling 

1. to drink intoxicating liquor, especially habitually or to some excess.

verb (used with object)

tippled, tippling 

1. to drink (intoxicating liquor), especially repeatedly, in small quantities.

noun

1. intoxicating liquor.

tipple

²

[tip-uhl]

noun

1. a device that tilts or overturns a freight car to dump its contents.

2. a place where loaded cars are emptied by tipping.

3. Mining.,  a structure where coal is cleaned and loaded in railroad cars or trucks.

tipple

¹

/ ˈtɪpəl /

noun

1. a device for overturning ore trucks, mine cars, etc, so that they discharge their load

2. a place at which such trucks are tipped and unloaded

verb

1. dialect,  to fall or cause to fall

tipple

²

/ ˈtɪpəl /

verb

1. to make a habit of taking (alcoholic drink), esp in small quantities

noun

1. alcoholic drink

Other Word Forms

• tippler noun
• untippled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tipple¹

1490–1500; back formation from Middle English tipeler tapster, equivalent to tipel- tap ² (cognate with Dutch tepel teat) + -er -er ¹; tipsy

Origin of tipple²

1875–80, noun use of dial. tipple to tumble, frequentative of tip ²; -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of tipple¹

C19: from tipple to overturn, from _tip ²

Origin of tipple²

C15: back formation from obsolete tippler tapster, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Scotch whiskey used to be fairly simple, a blend of middle-of-the road tipples.

From BBC

“The tipple of Hong Kong,” according to Hahn.

From Salon

They found that while a tipple before bedtime may get you off to sleep faster, it can disrupt your night.

From BBC

But enforcement was lax anyway, not least because the police themselves liked a tipple.

From Salon

"When I finish work, I will have a festive tipple and then back to my cabin to watch a Christmas movie."

From BBC