pl. drincaþ; p. dranc, pl. druncon; pp. druncen [drinc drink]. I. to DRINK, imbibe; bibĕre, potāre, imbĭbĕre :-- He dranc of ðam wíne, ðá wearþ he druncen bibens vinum inebriātus est, Gen. 9, 21: Lemanducāvĭmus coram te, et bibĭmus, Lk. Bos. 13, 26. Ðonne híg druncene beóþ cum inebriāti fuĕrint, Jn. Bos. 2, 10. II. the Anglo-Saxons often drank to excess, as is evident by the exhortation of Abbot Ælfric to his friend Sigferd, to whom he dedicated his Treatises on the Old and New Testaments :-- Ðú woldest me laðian, ðá ðá ic wæs mid ðé ðæt ic swíðor drunce, swilce for blisse. Ac wite ðú, leóf man, ðæt se ðe óðerne neádaþ ofer his mihte to drincenne ðæt se mót aberan heora begra gild, gif him ǽnig hearm of ðam drence becymþ. Úre Hǽlend forbeád ðone oferdrenc. Ða láreówas alédon ðone unþeáw þurh heora láreówdóm and tǽhton ðæt se oferdrenc fordéþ untwí-líce ðæs mannes sáwle and his gesúndfullnysse. Unhǽl becymþ of ðam drence when I was with thee, thou wouldest urge me to drink very much, as it were for bliss. But know thou, dear friend, that he who forces another man to drink more than he can bear, shall answer for both, if any harm come thereof. Our Saviour hath forbidden, over drinking. The learned fathers have also put down that bad habit by their wise teaching, and taught that the over drinking surely destroys a man's soul and soundness. Unhealthiness cometh after [over] drinking, Ælfc. T. 43, 6-17. [Piers P. drinken: Chauc. dronken, pp: Laym. drinchen, drinken: Orm. drinnkenn: Plat. drinken: O. Sax. drinkan: Frs. drincken: O. Frs. drinka: Dut. drinken: Ger. M. H. Ger. trinken: O. H. Ger. trinkan: Goth. drigkan: Dan. drikke: Swed. dricka: Icel. drekka.] DER. a-drincan, be-, for-, ge-, ofa-, ofer-, on-. drincan