Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

quaff

/kwɑf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.82 in modern English

Syllables: quaff
IPA: /kwɑf/

20

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts.

noun

The act of quaffing; a deep draught.

noun

Misspelling of coif.

Example Sentences

"I can't believe you quaffed four pints of beer and could still drive!"
"Please ye we may contrive this afternoon, / And quaff carouses to our mistress' health"
"They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Quaff immortality and joy […]"
"Sometimes the memory of her peaceful life at Florence obtruded itself upon her, and more than that, her charitable occupations when she attended the sick in that city, and whence, as from a rough-hewn chalice containing nectarian drink, she had quaffed happiness."
"Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
"Even while quaffing the third draught of the Fountain of Youth, they were almost awed by the expression of his mysterious visage."

Etymology

Uncertain. Suggestions include connection with Old Irish cuäch (“cup, goblet, bowl; cauldron, large vessel; bowl, cup”) (whence Scots quaich, queff). The noun is derived from the verb.

Word Breakdown

Root: cuäch

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kwɑf/
British English: /kwɒf/

Inflected Forms

quaffs (present, singular) quaffing (participle, present) quaffed (participle, past) quaffed (past) quaffs (plural)

Derived Forms

quaffable quaffingly unquaffed

Synonyms

chug gulp swig

Homonyms

coif stripped-by-parse_pron_post_template_fn coif

Rhymes With

cough hof mof pilaf joffe coif schaaf asaf taaffe haaf of showing off

Questions

How do you pronounce quaff?: The recorded pronunciation is /kwɑf/.
What does quaff mean?: To drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts.
Where does quaff come from?: Uncertain. Suggestions include connection with Old Irish cuäch (“cup, goblet, bowl; cauldron, large vessel; bowl, cup”) (whence Scots quaich, queff). The noun is derived from the verb.

How to pronounce quaff

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “quaff”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kwɑf/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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