kvass

American

[kvahs, kwahs] / kvɑs, kwɑs /

Or quass

noun

a Russian beer made from fermenting rye or barley and having a dark color and sour taste.

kvass British

/ kvɑːs /

noun

an alcoholic drink of low strength made in Russia and E Europe from cereals and stale bread

"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

Etymology

Origin of kvass

First recorded in 1545–55, kvass is from the Russian word kvas

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It also sells local products, including the fermented beverage kvass.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2024

Eastern Europe seems to inspire the sweet and smoky wedge of grilled caraflex cabbage, dusted with powdered caraway seeds and served in a sourdough consommé — a bread broth that may bring to mind kvass.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2022

Demand for Lithuanian chocolate, beer and kvass — a fermented drink — has skyrocketed, sending suppliers scrambling for inventory.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2022

If a guest showed up unannounced, I’d definitely reach for the kvass.

From Scientific American • Jun. 24, 2020

Meanwhile, he became a kvass merchant and exercised this trade for several months.

From Contemporary Russian Novelists by Persky, Serge

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023