ALCOHOLIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does alcoholic mean? 

• ALCOHOLIC (noun)
  The noun ALCOHOLIC has 1 sense:

1. a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually

  Familiarity information: ALCOHOLIC used as a noun is very rare.

• ALCOHOLIC (adjective)
  The adjective ALCOHOLIC has 2 senses:

1. characteristic of or containing alcohol

2. addicted to alcohol

  Familiarity information: ALCOHOLIC used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALCOHOLIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

alcoholic; alky; boozer; dipsomaniac; lush; soaker; souse

Hypernyms ("alcoholic" is a kind of...):

drunk; drunkard; inebriate; rummy; sot; wino (a chronic drinker)

Derivation:

alcoholic (addicted to alcohol)

• ALCOHOLIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Characteristic of or containing alcohol

Context example:

alcoholic drinks

Similar:

dry (having a large proportion of strong liquor)

hard; strong (being distilled rather than fermented; having a high alcoholic content)

intoxicant; intoxicating (causing intoxication)

spiritous; spirituous (containing or of the nature of alcohol)

wet (consisting of or trading in alcoholic liquor)

Antonym:

nonalcoholic (characterized by the absence of alcohol)

Derivation:

alcohol (a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent)

alcohol (any of a series of volatile hydroxyl compounds that are made from hydrocarbons by distillation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Addicted to alcohol

Synonyms:

alcohol-dependent; alcoholic

Context example:

alcoholic expatriates in Paris

Similar:

addicted (compulsively or physiologically dependent on something habit-forming)

Derivation:

alcoholic (a person who drinks alcohol to excess habitually)

 Context examples 

Diff-Quick is an alcoholic, quick staining method for cytology.

(Diff-Quik Staining Method, NCI Thesaurus)

The alcoholic extract of the bulb or whole garlic plant Allium sativum (Liliaceae) with potential antineoplastic activity.

(Garlic Extract, NCI Thesaurus)

Something (as drugs or alcoholic beverages) deemed harmful and usually subject to legal restriction.

(Illicit Substance, NCI Thesaurus)

A mouthwash containing 5% dexpanthenol, the alcoholic analogue of the dextrorotatory isomer of pantothenic acid with potential antimucositis activity.

(Dexpanthenol Mouthwash, NCI Thesaurus)

An alcoholic analogue of D-pantothenic acid and cholinergic agent.

(Dexpanthenol, NCI Thesaurus)

However, about 18 million adult Americans are alcoholics or have alcohol problems.

(Alcoholism, NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

An alcoholic beverage usually made from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation.

(Beer, NCI Thesaurus)

K. pneumoniae is part of the normal flora of the mouth, intestines, and skin but may become pathogenic; it is the causative agent of Klebsiella pneumonia in immunocompromised, diabetic, and alcoholic patients.

(Klebsiella ozaenae, NCI Thesaurus)

A solution or mixture of various substances in oil, alcoholic solutions of soap, or emulsions intended for external application.

(Liniment Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Nitrosodipropylamine is found as a contaminant in cheese, alcoholic beverages, rubber products and certain herbicides.

(Nitrosodipropylamine, NCI Thesaurus)