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quaff

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To drink heartily or with relish—conveying conviviality or excess, common in tavern or celebratory scenes.

Detailed Definition
“Quaff” evokes convivial or desperate drinking—ale quaffed, poison quaffed. In poetry, it symbolizes indulgence or resolve. The term’s robustness suits tavern or tragic scenes. Poets use it to explore how drink numbs or emboldens, reinforcing themes of escape, fellowship, and finality in lyrical and narrative contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He quaffed the wine in one deep draught,” in a tavern scene; In Burns: “Quaffing the nectar of the grape”; “She quaffed the stars in her thirst for truth”; “Quaff not poison thinking it wine”; “The bard quaffed inspiration from the well”; They quaffed the night like a heady brew.
Additional Notes
“Quaff” celebrates convivial drinking; in tavern songs or carpe diem lyrics, to “quaff deep” embodies joie de vivre, contrasting abstemious restraint with hearty, communal indulgence.
Also Known As
drink gulp swill Waught
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