Winos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who frequently consume wine, often to excess, may be regarded as habitual drinkers
2. Those who indulge regularly in the consumption of wine, possibly to the detriment of their well-being, are sometimes labeled as such
3. This term can refer to people who are associated with a culture of excessive wine drinking, usually in a social or casual context

Etymology: "Winos" is the plural of "wino," and the singular was formed in English by adding the suffix "-o" to "wine." That suffix, which in English marks a person characterized by something, is the same ending found in words like "gaucho" and "dumbo," so "wino" became a playful label for someone whose life revolves around wine. The base word traces back a long way. "Wine" descends from Latin "vinum," which English borrowed through Old English "wīn," and the Latin word itself belongs to a family of terms for the grape-vine. The "-o" suffix, by contrast, is a much newer English addition, so the whole formation is a modern combination of an old root with a playful ending. The plural follows the regular English pattern, with "-s" added to "wino" to give "winos" for several such drinkers.

Synonyms: drunks, alcoholics, lushes, boozers, tipplers