QUAFFVERB [kwäf]
VERB
quaff (verb) · quaffs (third person present) · quaffed (past tense) · quaffed (past participle) · quaffing (present participle)
NOUN
If you quaff an alcoholic drink, you drink a lot of it in a short time. He's quaffed many a glass of champagne in his time. [VERB noun]
: to drink (a usually alcoholic beverage) heartily or copiously At Fort William, goods were exchanged, bills were tallied, brandy was quaffed, songs were sung. — Will Ferguson Young Cheltenham ladies and gentlemen in striped shirts and Barbours quaffed their drinks and guffawed loudly. — John Ayto … quaff a flagon of nut-brown ale …
Quaff is by no means the oldest of these terms—earliest evidence of it in use is from the early 1500s, whereas sip dates to the 14th century—but it is the only one with the mysterious "origin unknown" etymology.
A leathern pitcher, called a black jack, used by our homely ancestors for quaff ing their ale. In that sacrifice Indra became intoxicated with quaff ing the Soma, and the Brahmanas, with the gifts they received. "Very good cause for suspicion, sir," said the man at the table, quaff ing a large glass of wine.