imbibe

[im-bahyb] /ɪmˈbaɪb/
verb (used with object), imbibed, imbibing.
1.
to consume (liquids) by drinking; drink:
He imbibed great quantities of iced tea.
2.
to absorb or soak up, as water, light, or heat:
Plants imbibe moisture from the soil.
3.
to take or receive into the mind, as knowledge, ideas, or the like:
to imbibe a sermon; to imbibe beautiful scenery.
verb (used without object), imbibed, imbibing.
4.
to drink, especially alcoholic beverages:
Just a soft drink for me—I don't imbibe.
5.
to absorb liquid or moisture.
6.
Archaic. to soak or saturate; imbue.
Origin
1350-1400; < Latin imbibere to drink in, equivalent to im- im-1 + bibere to drink; replacing Middle English enbiben < Middle French embiber < Latin, as above
Related forms
imbiber, noun
preimbibe, verb (used with object), preimbibed, preimbibing.
unimbibed, adjective
unimbibing, adjective
Synonyms
1. swallow. See drink.
Examples from the web for imbibe
  • Dogs are not equipped with the protective enzymes that allow humans to imbibe reasonable amounts of alcohol without harm.
  • Opt for the east shore for a spectacular sunset view, the west shore to imbibe some morning sun with your coffee.
  • The staff want guests to imbibe, while the guests want to stretch their drinks as far as possible.
  • They might imbibe alcohol or combustible plant matter on occasion, but they do so without the influence of giant corporations.
  • They learn their maxims, imbibe their spirit, and are moulded upon their example.
  • Tasting rooms have become big in wine country towns, giving tourists a chance to imbibe without having to drive.
  • Once treated the seeds imbibe water quickly and will germinate uniformly when sown.
  • Impermeable seeds require scarification or degradation of the seed coat by microbial action to imbibe water and germinate.
  • We imbibe helium three liquid into highly porous silica aerogel such as shown in the picture.
  • In addition to these examples of over-treatment, there were numerous small, dark seeds that failed to imbibe water.
British Dictionary definitions for imbibe

imbibe

/ɪmˈbaɪb/
verb
1.
to drink (esp alcoholic drinks)
2.
(literary) to take in or assimilate (ideas, facts, etc): to imbibe the spirit of the Renaissance
3.
(transitive) to take in as if by drinking: to imbibe fresh air
4.
to absorb or cause to absorb liquid or moisture; assimilate or saturate
Derived Forms
imbiber, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin imbibere, from bibere to drink
Word Origin and History for imbibe
v.

late 14c., from Old French imbiber, embiber "to soak into," from Latin imbibere "absorb, drink in, inhale," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + bibere "to drink," related to potare "to drink," from PIE *po(i)- "to drink" (see potion). Figurative sense of "mentally drink in" (knowledge, ideas, etc.) was the main one in classical Latin, first attested in English 1550s. Related: Imbibed; imbibing.