Etymology
From Middle English bere, from Old English bēor (beer) (Oxford English Dictionary notes: "rare, except in poetry"), from Proto-West Germanic *beuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą (beer) (putatively from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeusóm), meaning brewer's yeast. However, also see the "beer" entry on OED (q.v.), which links a connection to monastic Vulgar Latin *biber (a drink, beverage), from Latin bibere (to drink). Samuel Johnson in his famous eighteenth-century A Dictionary of the English Language guessed it was from (unattested) Welsh *bîr; he distinguished it in his time from ale — the ancient usual word — by beer being older-aged and/or smaller. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bjoor, West Frisian bier, Low German Beer, Dutch bier, German Bier, Icelandic bjór (beer).
Noun
beer (countable and uncountable, plural beers)
- (uncountable) An alcoholic drink fermented from starch material, commonly barley malt; often with hops or some other substance (like gruit) to impart a bitter flavor.
- Beer is brewed all over the world.
- (uncountable) A fermented extract of the roots and other parts of various plants, as spruce, ginger, sassafras, etc.
- (uncountable) A solution produced by steeping plant materials in water or another fluid.
- (countable) A glass, bottle, or can of any of the above beverages.
- I bought a few beers from the shop for the party.
- Can I buy you a beer?
- I'd like two beers and a glass of white wine.
- (countable) A variety of the above beverages.
- Pilsner is one of the most commonly served beers in Europe.
- I haven't tried this beer before.
Derived terms
- beer bar
- beer bottle
- beer can
- beer cellar
- beer cheese
- beer garden
- beer glass
- beer parlor
- beer run
- beer tent
- craft beer
- ginger beer
- near beer
- root beer
- root beer float
- session beer
- spruce beer
- wheat beer
Credits
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