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

Videos of robots folding laundry or brewing espresso have flooded social-media feeds, while investors have poured billions of dollars into development.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Expectations were brewing that the S&P changes to include Sandisk or Strategy would have come in early December, as part of a regularly scheduled rebalance.

Read more on MarketWatch

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart said "something must have been brewing" between the two players before the red card.

Read more on BBC

Head said opening for Australia at home had been "brewing for a bit", having done the job several times on overseas tours.

Read more on Barron's

Of these, about 22,000 hectares are legal -- grown to be chewed as a stimulant, brewed into a tea thought to combat altitude sickness or used in religious rituals.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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