Adjacent Words

Imbibe definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IMBI'BE, v.t. [L. imbibo; in and bibo, to drink.]
1. To drink in; to absorb; as, a dry or porous body imbibes a fluid; a sponge imbibes moisture.
2. To receive or admit into the mind and retain; as, to imbibe principles; to imbibe errors. Imbibing in the mind always implies retention, at least for a time.
3. To imbue, as used by Newton; but he has not been followed.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" [syn: absorb, suck, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up, draw, take in, take up]
2: take (gas, light or heat) into a solution [syn: assimilate, imbibe]
3: take in liquids; "The patient must drink several liters each day"; "The children like to drink soda" [syn: drink, imbibe]
4: receive into the mind and retain; "Imbibe ethical principles"

Merriam Webster's

verb (imbibed; imbibing) Etymology: Middle English enbiben to absorb, cause to absorb, from Latin imbibere to drink in, absorb, from in- + bibere to drink — more at potable Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. archaic soak, steep 2. a. to receive into the mind and retain <imbibe moral principles> b. to assimilate or take into solution 3. a. drink b. to take in or up <a sponge imbibes moisture> intransitive verb 1. drink 2 2. a. to take in liquid b. to absorb or assimilate moisture, gas, light, or heat • imbiber noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (also absol.) drink (esp. alcoholic liquor). 2 a absorb or assimilate (ideas etc.). b absorb (moisture etc.). 3 inhale (air etc.). Derivatives: imbiber n. imbibition n. Etymology: ME f. L imbibere (as IN-(2), bibere drink)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Imbibe Im*bibe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Imbibed; p. pr. & vb. n. Imbibing.] [L. imbibere; pref. im- in + bibere to drink: cf. F. imbiber. Cf. Bib, Imbue, Potable.] 1. To drink in; to absorb; to suck or take in; to receive as by drinking; as, a person imbibes drink, or a sponge imbibes moisture. 2. To receive or absorb into the mind and retain; as, to imbibe principles; to imbibe errors. 3. To saturate; to imbue. [Obs.] ``Earth, imbibed with . . . acid.'' --Sir I. Newton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(imbibes, imbibing, imbibed) 1. To imbibe alcohol means to drink it. (FORMAL, often HUMOROUS) They were used to imbibing enormous quantities of alcohol... No one believes that current nondrinkers should be encouraged to start imbibing. VERB: V n, V 2. If you imbibe ideas or arguments, you listen to them, accept them, and believe that they are right or true. (FORMAL) As a clergyman's son he'd imbibed a set of mystical beliefs from the cradle. = absorb VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Absorb, take in, suck in, such up, swallow up. 2. Receive, gather, acquire, gain, get, pick up.

Moby Thesaurus

absorb, adsorb, assimilate, bib, blot, blot up, booze, chemisorb, chemosorb, devour, digest, drain the cup, dram, drink, drink bottoms-up, drink deep, drink hard, drink in, drink off, drink to, drink up, eat, engorge, engross, engulf, filter in, follow strong drink, gargle, gobble, grog, gulp, gulp down, guzzle, incorporate, infiltrate, ingest, ingurgitate, knock back, lap, lap up, liquor up, nip, osmose, percolate in, pledge, pull, quaff, seep in, sip, slurp up, soak, soak in, soak up, sorb, sponge, suck, suck in, suckle, sup, swallow, swig, swill, swill down, swill up, take in, take up, tank up, tipple, toast, tope, toss, toss down, toss off, wash down, wolf down