dipsomaniac

[dip-suh-mey-nee-ak, -soh-]

noun

1. (no longer in technical use) a person with alcoholism or alcohol use disorder, especially characterized by an irresistible, typically periodic craving for alcoholic drinks.

Other Word Forms

• dipsomaniacal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dipsomaniac¹

First recorded in 1855–60; dipsomani(a) + -ac

Synonym Study

See inebriate.

Example Sentences

What’s more, if slowly supping your way into pre-lunchtime oblivion in the company of like-minded individuals, it is considered good manners to regularly check the glasses of your fellow dipsomaniacs and provide refills where required.

From The Guardian

When gazing directly into the abyss, there’s no better pick-me-up for a maudlin, middle-aged dipsomaniac than a tag-team pair of star-struck female admirers.

From The Guardian

Her sensational story emerges: she murdered her dipsomaniac husband in Borneo.

From The Guardian

For what per cent. of cases of medical dipsomaniacs this constitutes a stock excuse, only medical men know.

From Project Gutenberg

In each of these dreams," writes one lady, "I was a man;—in one of them a low brute, in the other a dipsomaniac.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• drunk 
• substance abuser www.thesaurus.com