English Reference
noun

drinker

n.
US /ˈdɹɪŋkɝ/ UK /dɹˈɪŋkɐ/ drinker UK spelling drinkers

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    someone who drinks alcohol, often used to describe how much or how often they drink.

    a person who consumes alcoholic beverages, typically categorised by frequency or volume of consumption.

    Simple

    He is a social drinker who only has a beer when he is with friends.

    In context

    Public health researchers categorise a heavy drinker as someone exceeding the recommended weekly units of alcohol on a consistent basis.

    imbiber
    teetotaler
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    a person or thing that drinks a specific type of liquid.

    an agent that consumes a specified liquid; often used in compounds or with modifiers.

    Simple

    As a big coffee drinker, she always knows where to find the best café.

    In context

    The study found that tea drinkers often had lower blood pressure than those who avoided the beverage entirely.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate Technical

    a container or device that provides water for animals to drink.

    an apparatus designed to supply water to livestock or pets, often automated in agricultural contexts.

    Simple

    The farmer checked the automatic drinker to make sure the chickens had water.

    In context

    Modern poultry farms utilise nipple drinkers to minimise water waste and maintain higher standards of hygiene within the coop.

    waterertrough
  4. 04 C1 Advanced British EnglishSlangInformal

    a casual word for a pub or a place where people go to drink.

    a public house or similar establishment where alcoholic beverages are served.

    Simple

    We met up at the local drinker for a few pints after work.

    In context

    It was a traditional backstreet drinker, the kind of place where the carpet was worn and the regulars had their own dedicated stools.

  5. 05 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a large, orange-brown moth found in Europe.

    a species of lasiocampid moth, Euthrix potatoria, named for the larva's habit of drinking drops of dew.

    Simple

    The drinker moth is easy to spot because of its warm, rusty colour.

    In context

    The Drinker is widely distributed across damp grasslands where its larvae feed on various species of reeds and grasses.


From Middle English drinkere, drynkere, from Old English drincere (“drinker”), from Proto-Germanic *drinkārijaz (“drinker”), equivalent to drink + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Drinker (“drinker”), West Frisian drinker (“drinker”), Dutch drinker (“drinker”), German Low German Drinker (“drinker”), German Trinker (“drinker”), Danish drikker (“drinker”), Swedish drickare, drinkare (“drinker”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin gem-pro *drinkārijaz
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Occasional
Updated