teetotal — choosing never to drink alcohol
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: choosing never to drink alcohol
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtiːtoʊtl/
Example Sentences
- My grandfather became teetotal after watching too many drunk people karaoke badly.
- She's been teetotal for five years and her liver sends her thank-you cards.
- The teetotal bartender was surprisingly good at mixing mocktails.
teetotal
ADJECTIVE[/ˈtiːtoʊtl/]
choosing never to drink alcohol
At the wedding toast, he raises a glass of sparkling water because he is teetotal.
The teetotal beetle uses a needle to pop temptation!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word emerged in the 19th century during temperance movements to emphasize 'total abstinence' from alcohol. It likely arose from emphatic pronunciation of 'total' as 't-total', with one popular theory attributing it to a stammerer's repetition of the initial 't' sound, producing 'teetotal'.
Breakdown
tee- (emphatic repetition of the letter T, representing total) + -total (complete, whole), combining to stress absolute or complete abstinence from alcohol.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandfather became teetotal after watching too many drunk people karaoke badly.”
“She's been teetotal for five years and her liver sends her thank-you cards.”
“The teetotal bartender was surprisingly good at mixing mocktails.”
“Going teetotal was the best decision I made for my health and wallet.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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