A person who compulsively drinks gin or frequents gin mills; a gin-drinking habitué.
From 'gin' (the spirit) + 'hound' (a person who pursues something obsessively, as in 'thrill-hound'). Reflects 18th-19th century slang for a gin addict.
The word 'hound' as a suffix for obsessive people has been around forever—you've got 'ginhound,' 'glory-hound,' 'publicity-hound'—it's basically calling someone a hunting dog that won't stop pursuing their vice!
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