Shikkers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A colloquial term referring to someone intoxicated through excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages ; used informally to describe an individual inebriated or drunk
2. Informal slang denoting a person visibly affected by alcohol, indicating drunkenness or impaired sobriety ; often applied in casual conversation to describe heavy drinking
3. A pejorative or humorous label for an individual who has overindulged in alcohol, resulting in noticeable intoxication ; sometimes used in social contexts to highlight drunken behavior

Etymology: "Shikkers" is the plural of "shikker," a Yiddish word for a habitual drunkard, borrowed into English from the Yiddish "shikker," which in turn comes from the Hebrew "shikor," meaning "drunk." Its roots run back to the Hebrew Bible's vocabulary for intoxication, so the word has carried its meaning of drinking to excess for a long time before it reached English speakers. The word is used in English mainly in its plural form, describing a group of people who drink heavily and often. It belongs to the vocabulary of Yiddish that entered American English, where many such words came to describe colourful figures of everyday life.

Synonyms: drunkards, inebriates, tipplers, alcoholics, lushes

Antonyms: teetotalers, abstainers, sober people