champagne

Everyday

1. A sparkling (fizzy) white or pink wine made in the Champagne area of France, drunk at celebrations. tree →
2. Loosely, any fizzy wine (though strictly only wine from Champagne may be called champagne). tree →
3. A pale golden-cream colour. tree →

In the lessons

An adult drink with alcohol; children do not drink it. At weddings, New Year and big wins adults «pop the champagne» and make a toast. Racing drivers spray champagne after a win. In The Wind in the Willows Toad's grand life includes fine food and drink. In geography: Champagne is a region in north-east France. Phrases: «a glass of champagne», «pop the cork», «champagne lifestyle» (very rich living).

Examples

• The grown-ups drank champagne at midnight on New Year's Eve. tree →
• The winner sprayed champagne over the crowd. tree →
• At the wedding, everyone raised a glass of champagne for a toast. tree →
• Champagne comes from a region of France with the same name. tree →
• We children had fizzy apple juice instead of champagne. tree →
• The bride's dress was a soft champagne colour. tree →
• ‘Well,’ said the King, ‘since you are so kind as to ask me, I prefer champagne to anything else.’ tree →

Note

It contains alcohol, which is not safe for children. Said «sham-PAYN» (from French, so «ch» sounds like «sh»). Usually uncountable. The region is written with a capital C: Champagne.