wine

wine — noun

1. a beverage containing alcohol, produced when grape juice (or juice from certain

1.nounA1
Definition

a beverage containing alcohol, produced when grape juice (or juice from certain other fruits) undergoes fermentation. Common varieties include red, white, rosé, and sparkling wine.

Example

Hui brought a bottle of red wine to the dinner party.

collocation: red wine / white wine / rosé wine

The waiter suggested a dry white wine to go with the fish.

collocation: dry / sweet wine

Common collocations
  • red wine
  • white wine
  • rosé wine
  • sparkling wine
  • dry wine
  • sweet wine
  • table wine
  • a glass of wine
  • a bottle of wine
  • wine cellar
  • wine list
  • wine region
  • wine tasting
  • house wine
Synonyms
  • vintage

    refers to wine from a specific year and region, often high-quality

  • grape juice

    non-alcoholic drink made from grapes, not fermented

  • cider

    fermented apple drink, sometimes called apple wine

Antonyms
  • grape juice

    the non-alcoholic raw ingredient before fermentation

Usage Note

Wine is an uncountable noun when referring to the drink in general ('I like wine'), but countable when referring to types or glasses ('three French wines', 'two wines, please').

Common Mistakes

I drank a wine' (meaning a glass).
I had a glass of wine.
'wine' is uncountable by default; use 'a glass of wine' for servings.
This wine is made from apples.
This wine is made from grapes.
True wine is grape-based; other fruit drinks are 'cider' or 'fruit wine'.

2. a deep reddish shade, similar to the colour seen in red wine.

2.nounB1
Definition

a deep reddish shade, similar to the colour seen in red wine.

Example

The curtains were a deep wine colour that matched the sofa.

collocation: wine colour

Élise chose a wine-red scarf to wear with her grey coat.

compound: wine-red

Common collocations
  • wine colour
  • wine red
  • wine shade
  • deep wine
  • rich wine
  • wine-coloured
  • wine-red
Synonyms
  • burgundy

    a darker, slightly purplish red, named after the Burgundy wine region

  • maroon

    a brownish dark red, less purple than wine

  • crimson

    a bright, vivid red, lighter than wine

Usage Note

Used mainly for fashion, interior design, and cosmetics. Can appear as a compound: 'wine-red', 'wine-coloured', or as a noun: 'a deep wine'.

Common Mistakes

The car is wine.
The car is wine-coloured.
'wine' alone is ambiguous; add '-coloured' or use 'wine red' for clarity.
Idioms

new wine in old bottles

idiom

something new or innovative that cannot be contained or expressed properly by old systems or forms.

Putting modern teaching methods into an old school building felt like new wine in old bottles.

Critics said his reform plan was just new wine in old bottles.

wine, women, and song

idiom

a phrase describing a lifestyle of pleasure, drinking, romance, and entertainment.

After years of wine, women, and song, he decided to settle down.

wine — verb

Word family

  • winery
    nounB1
  • winemaker
    nounB1
  • winemaking
    nounB2
  • wineglass
    nounA2
  • vineyard
    nounB1
  • winegrower
    nounB2
  • wine-tasting
    nounB1
  • wine-red
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe alcoholic drinks, but they differ by ingredient and production method. 'Wine' is made from fermented grapes (or sometimes other fruit), with an alcohol content usually between 9–16%. 'Beer' is brewed from malted barley and hops, with lower alcohol (3–8%). 'Cider' comes from fermented apples, similar in strength to beer. 'Sake' is a Japanese rice wine brewed from polished rice, typically 15–20% alcohol. 'Liquor' (or 'spirits') is distilled rather than fermented, producing much higher alcohol content (20–50%+). For example: 'She ordered a glass of red wine with the steak,' but 'He drank a pint of beer at the pub.' A host might serve cider at a casual autumn gathering, sake with sushi, and liquor in cocktails at a party.

wine ↗beer ↗cidersake ↗liquor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • with (wine with dinner)
  • from (wine from France)

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanLatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'wine' comes from Old English 'win', which was borrowed from Latin 'vinum' (meaning wine or grape). Latin 'vinum' itself traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *wóinom, a word for wine that also appears in Ancient Greek 'οἶνος' (oinos), Armenian 'gini', and Hittite 'wiyana'. The shared root across many ancient European and Middle Eastern languages reflects the early spread of winemaking throughout the Mediterranean region.