oenophile

noun

oe·​no·​phile ˈē-nə-ˌfī(-ə)l How to pronounce oenophile (audio)
: a lover or connoisseur of wine

Did you know?

"It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. The truth about the word wine is that it goes back to Latin vinum, but it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is oinos. Indeed, Latin borrowed from the Greek to create a combining form that means "wine," oeno-. Modern French speakers combined oeno- with -phile (Greek for "lover of") to create oenophile before we adopted it from them in the mid-1800s. Oenophiles are sure to know oenology (now more often spelled enology) as the science of wine making and oenologist (now more often enologist) for one versed in oenology.

Examples of oenophile in a Sentence

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And then there are the ballooning crowds to contend with during special events: foodies and oenophiles during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, horticultural enthusiasts during the Flower and Garden Festival. Darryn King, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 Gourmets, oenophiles, and aviation aficionados will all find something to love at Quinta do Paral, a new hotel in a wine-making region of Portugal August 17, 2024 Reading Time: 3 minutes In Alentejo, a wine-grape-growing region in central Portugal, storks possibly outnumber people. Mary Lussiana, airmail.news, 17 Aug. 2024 Reimagining a Modern Champagne House Though Épernay has long drawn tourists and oenophiles to its famous Avenue de Champagne, a hallowed street on which some of the region's most prestigious champagne houses call home, Reims has grown in popularity. Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024 Mention Jura around an oenophile and you’re bound to elicit a sly, knowing grin. Sue Williamson, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for oenophile 

Word History

Etymology

French œnophile, from œno- (from Greek oinos wine) + -phile -phile — more at wine

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oenophile was in 1865

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Cite this Entry

“Oenophile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oenophile. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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