Etymology

quaff

Q10U1A1F4F4

Today it means: To drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts. Full definition →

First used mid-16th c.Old Irish cuäch
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The story

  1. Old Irish · derived fromcuäch“cup, goblet, bowl; cauldron, large vessel; bowl, cup”
  2. English todayquaff

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.

Words from the same roots

Old Irishcuäch all →

quaich

First known use, by meaning

  • from mid-16th c. To drink or imbibe with vigour or relish; to drink copiously; to swallow in large draughts.
  • from late 16th c. The act of quaffing; a deep draught.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.