champagne

name

1. A cultural region and former province of France, the terroir of the wine champagne; now part of Grand Est region.
2. A surname from French.

noun

1. (alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable)Alternative form of champagne (“type of sparkling wine made in France”).
2. (countable, uncountable)A sparkling white wine made from a blend of grapes, especially Chardonnay and pinot, produced in Champagne, France, by the méthode champenoise.

   “We suppose that this author has done his best to be satirical; and he may have thought that his subject would have inspired him with all that was smart and piquant: but the plain truth is that the promised champagne turns out to be vapid small beer.”

   “"[…] That stuff on the table may be a vehicle for filberts and walnuts, but not for such communications as yours. —Bring me champaigne," he said to the attendant who answered on his summons. The domestic returned, and brought a flask of champaigne, with two large silver cups.”

   “[T]he women will wear cashmeres, and then men will drink champagne.”

   “Champagne wine, with its amber hue, it éclat, its sparkle, and its perfume, arouses the senses and produces a cheerfulness which flashes through the company like a spark of electricity. At the magic word, Champagne! the guests, dull and torpid with good feeding, awake at once.”

   “The principal difference between champagnes and sparkling hocks designed for the English market consists in the former being made almost exclusively from red grapes, pressed immediately they are gathered, and not allowed to ferment in their skins, while the latter are made from white grapes alone. The finest champagnes come from the pineau noir, or black Burgundy grape, while the best sparkling hocks are made from the Riesling, […]”

3. (countable, informal, uncountable)Any sparkling wine made by the méthode champenoise.

   “I’ve been saving an excellent Brazilian champagne for a special occasion.”

   “Of the Reims mountain wines, those of Verzi, Verzenay, Mailli, Bouzy, and St. Basle, are most esteemed; but the Clos St. Thierry furnishes perhaps the finest red Champagne. The name Jolly champagne, under which, at present, a large quantity of the best champagne is sold in the U[nited] States, does not originate from a place in Champagne, but from an owner of extensive vineyards in that province, who exports much champagne to the U. States.”

   “Great Western Champagne […] Produced by the old French slow method of fermentation in the bottle taking from six to seven years of time. Great Western is the Only American Champagne ever awarded a Gold Medal at Foreign Expositions. […] Oldest and largest producers of Champagne in America.”

4. (countable, informal, uncountable)Any sparkling white wine.
5. (countable)A glass of champagne.

   “"I'm not scared of needles, but I certainly don’t like them," she says. "I had a champagne en route to the clinic – maybe two – which I'd probably not recommended, but whatever works, right?[…]"”

6. (countable)A very pale brownish-gold colour, similar to that of champagne.

   “Suede Leather Hat, in gray, champagne, rose or blue, flower-trimmed.”

7. (countable, uncountable)(An ordinary occupying) the base of the shield, either flat-topped (like the chief at the top of the shield) or curved (as in a mount or trimount).

   “Alternative forms: champaine, champain”

   “Two rows of Vair, on a champagne gules an open crown or (both 2 and 3 for CRONBERG).”

   “[…] on a champagne in base gules a wyvern, wings expanded or (for Vandalia); on the centre of the cross a quartered shield:[…]”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Of a very pale brownish-gold colour, similar to that of champagne.

   “This is the year! With champagne colors the thing on the fashion scene, Clairol is popping the corks on 4 new Champagne Blondes^®! […] Clairol's Creme Toner is your choice of Champagne color.”

2. (alt-of, alternative, not-comparable)Alternative form of champaine.

   “A Point Dexter parted, A Point Champagne, A Point plain, A Point in Point, […]”

verb

1. (transitive)To ply or treat with champagne.

   “And equally, the central matter of Henry's infidelities has no actual dramatisation, so that we never see him coming out of a stage door with a Follies girl on his arm, or champagning a debutante, let alone entering a boudoir.”

2. (intransitive)To drink champagne.

   “We clareted and champagned till two—then supped, and finished with a kind of regency punch composed of madeira, brandy, and green tea, no real water being admitted therein.”

   “On one occasion, I was at a meeting of the turf in an hotel after the races, where violent discussions and heavy champagning were going on.”