To drink something in one long continuous gulp without stopping to breathe.
American slang from the early 20th century, likely onomatopoetic in origin—'chug' mimics the sound of a train or liquid pouring, combined with 'alug' (possibly from 'a lug' or 'a long'). The phrase gained popularity during the 1960s counterculture.
This word is pure onomatopoeia—if you say it out loud while pretending to chug a drink, it actually sounds like the gulping action! It's become so associated with competitive drinking culture that it's practically the official verb for it.
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