Inebriant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance, especially an alcoholic beverage, that causes intoxication or impairs mental and physical functions
2. A specific agent, often an alcoholic drink, that induces a state of intoxication or diminished mental and physical abilities
3. An item, particularly a drink, that leads to drunkenness and affects cognitive and motor skills

Etymology: "Inebriant" comes from Latin "inēbriāns," the present participle of "inēbriāre," meaning "to intoxicate." The Latin verb itself was built from "ēbrius," meaning "drunk," and the prefix "in-," which here intensifies the sense of making someone drunk. The participle form "inēbriāns" meant "intoxicating," describing whatever had that effect. English took the word as a noun for a thing that intoxicates, so the drink or substance is named by the quality it produces. The word thus sounds more clinical than many terms for alcohol, since it describes the action of the substance rather than the drink itself. Its pairing with the related adjective "inebriated," from the same Latin verb, shows the two forms developing from one root.

Synonyms: intoxicant, alcohol

Antonyms: sober