Word of the Day Archive
Saturday April 21, 2001
teetotaler \TEE-TOH-tuh-lur\ , noun:
One pledged to entire abstinence from all intoxicating drinks.
Her son, in his idealized recollections, would describe her as a near teetotaler, hardly venturing beyond a lady-like glass of champagne.
-- A. M. Sperber and Eric Lax, Bogart
Her father, previously a teetotaler, had begun drinking, and his health had taken a turn for the worse.
-- Stephen A. Black, Eugene O'Neill: Beyond Mourning and Tragedy
Teetotaler is from tee (the letter t, as in total) + total + -er. Teetotalism is the principle or practice of complete abstinence from alcoholic drinks.
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for teetotaler
