The word
drink is primarily a verb, meaning to ingest
liquids. As a noun, it refers to the liquid that is ingested. It is often used in a narrower sense to refer to
alcoholic beverages (as both a verb and a noun). ''Drink'' is also
slang for a body of
water, such as an
ocean or a water hazard on a
golf course (e.g. "He hit that one into the drink."). To ''drink in'' is also used metaphorically, as in ''to drink in the scenery''; to appreciate.
In the United Kingdom, ''drink'' is used as a general term for an alcoholic beverage; "Are you going for a drink?"
The word "Drink!" is one of the catchphrases of Father Jack Hackett, the elderly, alcoholic priest from the Channel 4 comedy series Father Ted.
A
beverage is a drink specifically prepared for human consumption, except water. Beverages almost always largely consist of
water. Water is essential for living, significantly more so than food. Death will usually occur after one week without any liquids but humans have been known to survive some months without food.
Water
Essential to the survival of all organisms,
water has historically been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans. Excluding
fat, water composes approximately 70% of the
human body by mass. It is a crucial component of
metabolic processes and serves as a
solvent for many bodily
solutes. Health authorities have historically suggested at least eight glasses, eight fluid ounces each, of water per day (64 fluid ounces, or 1.89
L),
and the
British Dietetic Association recommends 1.8 liters.
The
United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the average adult actually ingests 2.0 L per day.
Water is available in several forms. Nearly all other drinks, including juice, soft drinks, and carbonated drinks, have some form of water in them.
Distilled (pure) water is rarely found in nature.
, a natural resource from which much
bottled water comes, is generally imbued with minerals.
Tap water, delivered by
domestic water systems in
developed nations, refers to water piped to homes through a
tap. All of these forms of water are commonly drunk, often purified through
filtration.
Other
Some substances may either be called food or drink, and accordingly be eaten with a
spoon or drunk, depending on solid ingredients in it and on how thick it is, and on preference:
Soup
Yogurt