beer

¹ American  

[beer] / bɪər /

noun

1. an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermentation from cereals, usually malted barley, and flavored with hops and the like for a slightly bitter taste.

2. any of various beverages, whether alcoholic or not, made from roots, molasses or sugar, yeast, etc..

   root beer; ginger beer.

3. an individual serving of beer; a glass, can, or bottle of beer.

   We'll have three beers.

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Beer ² American  

[beer] / bɪər /

noun

1. Thomas, 1889–1940, U.S. author.

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beer British  

/ bɪə /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink brewed from malt, sugar, hops, and water and fermented with yeast Compare ale

2. a slightly fermented drink made from the roots or leaves of certain plants

   ginger beer

   nettle beer

3. (modifier) relating to or used in the drinking of beer

   beer glass

   beer mat

4. (modifier) in which beer is drunk, esp (of licensed premises) having a licence to sell beer

   beer house

   beer cellar

   beer garden

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Etymology

Origin of beer

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, Old English bēor; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German bior, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch bēr, Dutch, German Bier ( Old Norse bjōrr, probably from Old English); further origin uncertain

Explanation

Beer is an alcoholic drink usually made from barley and hops. A beer is a can or pint of the stuff. Too much beer can make people, often college students, wear lampshades as hats or dance like chickens. Cheers! Beer is a foamy, malt-flavored beverage with a relatively low alcohol content. Beer is actually the most commonly consumed alcoholic drink around the world, and it's believed to be the oldest too. Brewers make beer by fermenting a grain — usually barley or wheat — and adding hops or other flavoring agents. The word comes from the Old English beor, and though experts disagree about its roots, one guess names the Vulgar Latin biber, "beverage," as a possible origin.

Example Sentences

And that's an amazing feeling, you know, because I've been there in the beer gardens, watching England before and when someone scores... that togetherness that it brings is nice.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Griffin has been in the majors since last Friday and still isn’t old enough to buy a beer at a ballgame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Constellation has been pressured by weaker spending among Hispanic consumers, who account for roughly half of its beer customer base, as immigration raids and affordability issues weighed on the group’s sentiment.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The stock surged 8.5% after the company said late Wednesday that it had grown more cautious on its outlook for demand, but that beer sales had crept higher during its fourth quarter.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

I kept hoping that some officers would come into the tavern for rum or beer or something to eat.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier