Quaff vs coif

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Grammarist

Quaff and coif are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have different meanings. They are homophones. We will look at the meanings of quaff and coif, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Quaff means to drink something heartily or drink something all at once. Quaff may also refer to a drink that is consumed heartily or all at once, usually an alcoholic drink. Quaff may be used as a noun or a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are quaffs, quaffed, quaffing. The word quaff is derived from the German word quassen, which means to overindulge in something consumable.

Coif means to style the hair. Coif may also refer to a close-fitting cap worn under chain mail or under a nun’s veil. Coif may be used as a noun or a transitive verb, related words are coif, coiffed, coiffing. The word coif is derived from the Old French word coife, which means a skullcap or to arrange the hair.

Examples

Even cries from Matabeleland that it would be insensitive to quaff expensive whiskey and dance on mass graves of thousands of people brutally killed by his North Korea trained militia soon after independence could not stop the feast. (The Zimbabwe Standard)

Supporters from four corners of the globe jet in to watch the big English Premier League teams and to munch on stone-baked pizza and take selfies, while the corporate prawn sandwich brigade quaff beer and prosecco: meantime out on the pitch the game meanders as an afterthought. (The Courier)

Fellow singer-songwriter Katy Perry—a beauty chameleon in her own right—puts the la garçonne look into overdrive with a ’60s-inspired coif and serious décolletage. (Vogue Magazine)