imbiber

From imbibe +‎ -er.

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imbiber (plural imbibers)

1. One who imbibes, who drinks, especially alcoholic beverages.

   Synonym: drinker

   • 1876, John Ruskin, “Letter LX”, in Fors Clavigera. Letters to the Workmen and Labourers of Great Britain, volume V, Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, page 341:

     […] and yet, curiously enough, I am certain he will feel my question, “Where does the drinker get the means for his drinking?” more relevant in the case of the imbibers of port than in that of the imbibers of champagne.

   • 2023 May 28, Alice Lascelles, quoting Nick Bodkins, “What's the buzz?”, in FT Weekend, HTSI, page 61:

     “Demand is primarily coming from a mix of Gen Z consumers and imbibers who are looking for the ‘feel’ without the feel tomorrow,” says CEO Nick Bodkins. “But fully abstaining customers are a very small subset of our consumer base.”

Inherited from Old French, borrowed from Latin imbibere. Doublet of emboire.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.bi.be/

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imbiber

1. (transitive) to soak, saturate

• “imbiber”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.