Definition of imbibe

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< imbed

imbibition >

im·bibe    (m-bb) KEY  

VERB:
im·bibed , im·bib·ing , im·bibes
VERB:
tr.

1. To drink.
2. To absorb or take in as if by drinking: "The whole body . . . imbibes delight through every pore" (Henry David Thoreau).
3. To receive and absorb into the mind: "Gladstone had . . . imbibed a strong prejudice against Americans" (Philip Magnus).
4. Obsolete To permeate; saturate.

VERB:
intr.

To drink alcoholic beverages.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English embiben, to soak up, saturate, from Latin imbibere, to drink in, imbibe : in-, in ; see in- ² + bibere, to drink; see p(i)- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
im·biber (Noun)

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