brew

American  

[broo] / bru /

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

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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.

idioms

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

   Trouble was brewing.

brew ¹ British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ bruː /

noun

1. dialect a hill

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of brew

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

Example Sentences

The seemingly limitless power of the steam engine helped change that view, making fortunes in mining, metallurgy, brewing, and, especially, textiles.

From Barron's

The seemingly limitless power of the steam engine helped change that view, making fortunes in mining, metallurgy, brewing, and, especially, textiles.

From Barron's

The facility, which will run the sessions until Easter, was also taking part in "brew Monday" on 19 January, often referred to as blue Monday.

From BBC

“This is my witches’ brew,” she said laughing as she stirred the viscous inky liquid inside the bucket.

From Los Angeles Times

He explains that defaults, automatically performed activities like brewing coffee in the morning and brushing our teeth at night, drive nearly half our actions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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