brew

[broo]

verb (used with object)

1. to make (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermenting malt and hops.

2. to make or prepare (a beverage, as tea) by mixing, steeping, soaking, or boiling a solid in water.

3. to concoct, mix, or cook (a beverage or food, especially one containing unmeasured or unusual ingredients).

   She brewed a pot of soup from the leftovers.

4. to contrive, plan, or bring about.

   to brew mischief.

   Synonyms: cook up, hatch, devise, plot, scheme, concoct

verb (used without object)

1. to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.

2. to boil, steep, soak, or cook.

   Wait until the tea brews.

noun

1. a quantity brewed in a single process.

2. a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.

3. a hot beverage made by cooking a solid in water, especially tea or coffee.

4. any concoction, especially a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients.

   a witches' brew.

5. Informal.

   1. beer or ale.

   2. an individual serving of beer or ale.

      Let's have a few brews after the game.

brew

¹

/ bruː /

verb

1. to make (beer, ale, etc) from malt and other ingredients by steeping, boiling, and fermentation

2. to prepare (a drink, such as tea) by boiling or infusing

3. (tr) to devise or plan

   to brew a plot

4. (intr) to be in the process of being brewed

   the tea was brewing in the pot

5. (intr) to be impending or forming

   there's a storm brewing

noun

1. a beverage produced by brewing, esp tea or beer

   a strong brew

2. an instance or time of brewing

   last year's brew

3. a mixture

   an eclectic brew of mysticism and political discontent

brew

²

/ bruː /

noun

1. dialect,  a hill

Other Word Forms

• brewer noun
• misbrew verb (used with object)
• rebrew verb
• unbrewed adjective
• underbrew verb (used with object)
• well-brewed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brew¹

before 900; Middle English brewen, Old English brēowan; akin to Dutch brouwen, German brauen, Old Norse brugga

Word History and Origins

Origin of brew¹

Old English brēowan ; related to Old Norse brugga , Old Saxon breuwan , Old High German briuwan

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be brewing, to be forming or gathering; be in preparation.

   Trouble was brewing.

Example Sentences

For months, fury had been brewing against "nepo babies", the children of powerful politicians of all stripes, who were accused of flaunting their unexplained wealth on social media.

From BBC

Storms can brew up with terrifying speed and anyone caught above tree line is going to feel dangerously close to the action.

From Los Angeles Times

The grass and flowers are used as decoration for the ceremonies during which the beans are roasted over an open fire, ground and then brewed in a clay pot.

From BBC

For the soundtrack, the 24-year-old looks back to the music of her youth for the soundtrack, liberally sampling hits by Underworld, Basement Jaxx and Just Jack – without surrendering her own bubbly brew of capsule pop.

From BBC

Davie would not comment on whether there were currently further scandals about workplace behaviour and abuses of power brewing.

From BBC

Related Words

• beverage 
• blend 
• broth 
• distillation 
• drink 
• liquor 
• melange 
• mishmash 
• mixture 
• mélange