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

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

Inside, customers sipped root beer flats and ate cheeseburgers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

“Back then he drank root beer floats,” Schallock said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

It’s an open question as to why sassafras root came to replace sarsaparilla in most root beer recipes, but it might have to do with sarsaparilla’s strong, somewhat bitter flavor profile.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2023

Chiron galloped up and down their ranks, shouting encouragement to stand tough and think about victory and root beer, but I figured any second they would panic and run.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan