brew

[ broo ]

/ bru /

|||

verb (used with object)

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

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

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.

to contrive, plan, or bring about: to brew mischief.

verb (used without object)

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

to boil, steep, soak, or cook: Wait until the tea brews.

noun

a quantity brewed in a single process.

a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.

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

any concoction, especially a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients: a witches' brew.

Informal.

beer or ale.
an individual serving of beer or ale: Let's have a few brews after the game.

Nearby words

breviloquent, brevipennate, brevirostrate, brevity, brevity is the soul of wit, brew, brew up, brewage, brewer, brewer's blackbird, brewer's grain

Idioms

be brewing, to be forming or gathering; be in preparation: Trouble was brewing.

Origin of brew

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

SYNONYMS FOR brew

4 concoct, scheme, plot, devise, hatch, cook up.

Related forms

brew·er, nounmis·brew, verb (used with object)re·brew, verbun·brewed, adjective

un·der·brew, verb (used with object)well-brewed, adjective

Can be confused

brewed broodbrews bruise

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brewer

According to Phillips, Brewer has essentially sold Arizona Christians into slavery.
Fringe Factor: You Will Have to Bake a Penis Cake|Caitlin Dickson|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rich Lowry of National Review tweeted "Brewer veto shows that poorly informed hysteria works."
Jan Brewer Keeps Arizona in the 21st Century|Ben Jacobs|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Brewer's veto comes a week after the Kansas State Senate rejected a similar bill in the Sunflower State.
Jan Brewer Keeps Arizona in the 21st Century|Ben Jacobs|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some national conservatives reacted in sorrow to Brewer's annoucement.
Jan Brewer Keeps Arizona in the 21st Century|Ben Jacobs|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In contrast, those urging Brewer to sign the bill included Rush Limbaugh and Michele Bachmann.
Jan Brewer Keeps Arizona in the 21st Century|Ben Jacobs|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Clara had a nightmare, and came near choking to death on Mr. Brewer's plaster—the locket, you know.
Seeing France with Uncle John|Anne Warner
Mr. Brewer afterwards received his Majesty's commission appointing him to the vacancy.
An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Vol. 1|David Collins
"Of course we wouldn't interfere," said Sharpit confidently to the brewer.
Rachel Ray|Anthony Trollope
He went in a hansom, so that the person who opened the door should know that he was not a brewer's traveler.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. XII. No. 31. October, 1873.|Various
One of them—it was the brewer—therefore proposed Werner, and all immediately concurred in the choice.
The wanderings and fortunes of some German emigrants|Friedrich Gerstcker

British Dictionary definitions for brewer (1 of 2)

brew

/ (bruː) /

verb

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

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

(tr) to devise or planto brew a plot

(intr) to be in the process of being brewedthe tea was brewing in the pot

(intr) to be impending or formingthere's a storm brewing

noun

a beverage produced by brewing, esp tea or beera strong brew

an instance or time of brewinglast year's brew

a mixturean eclectic brew of mysticism and political discontent

Derived Forms

brewer, noun

Word Origin for brew

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

British Dictionary definitions for brewer (2 of 2)

brew

/ (bruː) /

noun

Northern English dialect a hill

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012