Also 7 champane, 7–8 -pain -paign, (8 shampine), 7–9 -paigne. [see CHAMPAIGN, CAMPAIGN.] The name of a province of eastern France; hence, a well-known wine of different varieties, white and red, and still or sparkling, made in this district.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. I. (ed. 1689), 570. Drink ev’ry Letter on’t in Stum, And make it brisk Campaign [later edd. champaign] become.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, IV. i. 67. Then sparkling Champaigne, Puts an end to their reign.
a. 1688. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Poems (1775), 159. French kick-shaws, cellery, and Champain.
1697. G. M[eriton], Praise of Yorksh. Ale, 3. Other Liquors fine, Rasberry Wine … and Shampine.
1718. Freethinker, No. 107. Sprightly young Fellows, who drink Champagne.
1795. Burke, Scarcity, Wks. VII. 413. Wits inspired with champaign and claret.
1814. Scott, Wav., xx. Excellent claret and champagne were liberally distributed.
1833. C. Redding, Hist. Mod. Wines, 72. Though in England most people understand by Champagne only wine which effervesces, this … is an error.
1875. Hamerton, Intell. Life, II. i. 44–5. A young mechanical genius on whom the sight of a locomotive acted exactly like a bottle of champagne.
b. attrib. and Comb., as champagne-bottle, -cork, -cup, -glass, -tweezers; also champagneless adj.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 101. A faint redish colour like Champane wine.
1868. Isab. Saxon, 5 Yrs. within the Golden Gate, 266. Champagne-corks flew freely.
1882. Sat. Rev., 17 June, 762/2. Everything … is in favour of the champagne-makers.
Hence (chiefly nonce-words) Champagne v., to drink champagne (cf. to wine). Champagnish, Champagny adjs., resembling champagne or its exhilarating qualities; so Champagniness.
1814. Byron, Let. Moore, 9 April. We clareted and champagned till two.
a. 1845. Hood, Public Dinner, 115. [You] hear rather plainish A sound that’s champaignish.
1854. ‘C. Bede,’ Verdant Green, II. ix. Similar champagney reasons.
1882. M. A. Barker, in Macm. Mag., XLVI. 67/2. That peculiar champagne-y feel of mountain air.
1886. G. M. Fenn, This Man’s Wife, in Gd. Words, 583. The light champagny atmosphere.
1884. R. Jefferies, in Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Aug., 4/1. A warm sweet air, light and brightness and champagniness.
