ale

¹ American  

[eyl] / eɪl /

noun

1. a malt beverage, darker, heavier, and more bitter than beer, containing about 6 percent alcohol by volume.

2. British. beer.

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A.L.E. ² American  

abbreviation

Insurance.

1. additional living expense.

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ale British  

/ eɪl /

noun

1. a beer fermented in an open vessel using yeasts that rise to the top of the brew Compare beer lager 1

2. (formerly) an alcoholic drink made by fermenting a cereal, esp barley, but differing from beer by being unflavoured by hops

3. another word for beer

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Etymology

Origin of ale

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English (e)alu (genitive ealoth ); cognate with Old Saxon alo-, Middle Dutch ale, ael, Old Norse ǫl; Lithuanian alùs, Old Church Slavonic olŭ; Finnish, Estonian olut

Explanation

Ale is a particular type of beer. Ale would be a good thing to order if you ever visit a pub in Britain. Ale is yeast-fermented beer, brewed with sweet-tasting malted barley, and often with hops, to balance the sweetness with a more bitter flavor. In Britain, ale is considered to be any beer "other than lager, stout, or porter," while in the US ale is distinguished by the style of fermentation. The Old English origin of ale is ealu, "ale or beer." The Proto-Indo-European root has an implied meaning of "sorcery, magic, and intoxication."

Example Sentences

The son would respond, “a double,” and then take his ginger ale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

He brews his own ale at home and once considered buying a brewery.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

The ginger ale is flatly branded Canada Dry.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

He has a fondness for knitting, for starters, and prefers peppermint tea over ale.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

In the morning, after breaking fast with cold beef and ale, we set out once more, still heading south.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Related Words

• brew
• malt
• suds