root beer

American  

noun

root beers plural

1. a carbonated beverage flavored with syrup made from the extracted juices of roots, barks, and herbs that have been fermented with sugar and yeast.

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root beer British  

noun

1. an effervescent drink made from extracts of various roots and herbs

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• root beers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of root beer

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Compare meaning

How does root-beer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• birch beer vs. root beer

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

root beer

The supermarket fixture known for its red-capped spices traces its roots to founder Willoughby McCormick, who at 25 years old started selling root beer, flavoring extracts, and fruit syrups door-to-door.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

Twig's also makes its own-name range of fruit sodas, from root beer to black cherry, and orange to lime.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

Stories involving a sitar, a surfboard, several root beer floats and a bride-to-be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

However, as early as 1898, competing Barq’s root beer was made from sarsaparilla, so the terms became readily interchangeable, especially since many root beer recipes actually use both.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

He paid for the root beer and stood up.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote