root beer

American  

noun

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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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

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

For the front awning, he used sassafras, a semi-soft wood that darkens with age, smells like root beer when you cut it, and reminds him of the sassafras tea he drank as a kid.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2023

On the way back to town we stopped off at a drive-in burger joint and had a root beer.

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz