"It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. The truth about the word wine is that it goes back to Latin vinum, but it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is oinos. Indeed, Latin borrowed from the Greek to create a combining form that means "wine," oeno-. Modern French speakers combined oeno- with -phile (Greek for "lover of") to create oenophile before we adopted it from them in the mid-1800s. Oenophiles are sure to know oenology (now more often spelled enology) as the science of wine making and oenologist (now more often enologist) for one versed in oenology.
Examples of oenophile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebMention Jura around an oenophile and you’re bound to elicit a sly, knowing grin.—Sue Williamson, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2024 Home to hills and vineyards, Alsace is a stomping ground for oenophiles looking to sample silvaner, pinot noir and cremant, and foodies wanting to try coq au riesling, baeckeoffe (a hearty stew made with riesling) and baba au rhum.—Michelle Tchea, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024 Discerning foodies and oenophiles are also drawn to the island’s top-tier food scene, which is highlighted during the St. Barts Gourmet Festival, a popular event taking place each November.—Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2024 Also of note is the fact that oenophiles are becoming younger and younger: Millennials made up 30 percent of all buyers in the auction.—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for oenophile
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oenophile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French œnophile, from œno- (from Greek oinos wine) + -phile -phile — more at wine
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