lager

¹ American

[lah-ger, law-] / ˈlɑ gər, ˈlɔ- /

noun

Also called lager beer. a beer stored from six weeks to six months for aging before use.

verb (used with object)

to age (beer) usually by storing in tanks at just-below freezing temperatures for several weeks or months.

lager ² American

[lah-ger] / ˈlɑ gər /

noun

South African.

laager.

lager ¹ British

/ ˈlɑːɡə /

noun

a light-bodied effervescent beer, fermented in a closed vessel using yeasts that sink to the bottom of the brew Compare ale

"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

lager ² British

/ ˈlɑːɡə /

noun

a variant spelling of laager

"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 lager

1835–45; short for lager beer, half adoption, half translation of German Lagerbier. See lair ¹, beer

Explanation

Lager is a common type of beer. When someone in a movie bellies up to a bar and orders a well-known brand of beer, it's usually a lager. Brewers distinguish lagers from other beers by the yeast used to ferment it, as well as its light color and what's often described as the "crisp" taste of a lager. This type of beer was first invented in 15th-century Bavaria. The name lager comes from lager beer and its German source, Lagerbier, or "beer brewed for keeping," a reference to the practice of storing lager in cold places while it matures.

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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.

In the three years to January, the price of an average pint of lager on draught went up by 60p to £4.83, while a 175ml glass of wine rose 88p to £5.17, inflation data shows.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Heineken—which alongside its namesake lager brand makes Amstel, Desperados and Birra Moretti—said it expects operating earnings to grow between 2% and 6% this year, backing guidance it set out earlier in the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026