Guzzlers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Describing individuals or machines that consume liquids, especially food and beverages, in an excessive or greedy manner
2. referring to creatures or entities that voraciously sip or inhale substances with little restraint
3. characterizing those that indulge in drinks or fuels rapidly and often without consideration for moderation

Etymology: The verb "guzzle" is the older of the two, and it arrived in English in the 1500s with a sense of gulping down liquid. Its origin is uncertain: it may come from Old French "gosiller", meaning to vomit or to pour out, though the exact link is debated, so it is safer to say the verb's roots are unclear than to name one firm ancestor. What is clearer is that the English suffix "-er", which marks a person or thing that performs an action, was attached to "guzzle" to make the noun "guzzler", describing one who drinks heavily. That suffix has a long pedigree. It descends from Latin "-arius", which the Romans used to form words for occupations and agents, and it passed through Old English "-ere" and Middle English "-er" before settling into the ordinary English ending seen in words like "baker" and "singer". So "guzzler" is a plain formation: an existing verb plus a long-established agent suffix. The plural "guzzlers" simply adds "-s" to that noun, so it names more than one such drinker or consumer.

Synonyms: drinkers, consumers

Antonyms: moderators, abstainers