alco

C2+ Topic:Register & Style

US /ˈælkoʊ/ UK /ˈælkəʊ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
(slang) an alcoholic or heavy drinker

The pub regulars affectionately called him an old alco.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · (slang) an alcoholic or... alcoholic drunkard drunk sottippler

Opposites

teetotaler abstainer

Word family

Related forms alcohol alcoholic

Etymology

A clipping of alcoholic with the colloquial -o suffix (common in Australian slang); from alcohol, from Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic al-kuḥl ('the kohl, fine powder').

al-kuḥl Arabic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

External links

# alco

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈælkoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈælkəʊ/

## Meanings
1. (slang) an alcoholic or heavy drinker

## Examples
- The pub regulars affectionately called him an old alco.

## Synonyms
- alcoholic
- drunkard
- drunk
- sot
- tippler

## Antonyms
- teetotaler
- abstainer

## Related Forms
- alcohol
- alcoholic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: al-kuḥl

## Etymology
A clipping of alcoholic with the colloquial -o suffix (common in Australian slang); from alcohol, from Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic al-kuḥl ('the kohl, fine powder').

## AI Etymology
Alco is a noun meaning "(slang) an alcoholic or heavy drinker". Historically, it is a clipping of alcoholic with the colloquial -o suffix (common in Australian slang); from alcohol, from Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic al-kuḥl ('the kohl, fine powder'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: alco is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The modern meaning, "(slang) an alcoholic or heavy drinker", follows the base word through the added English ending. The historical chain is anchored in Arabic al-kuḥl. Close English family members include alcohol, and alcoholic.

## Topics
- Register & Style
- General Vocabulary

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