beer

noun

ˈbir 

1

: a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage that is usually made from malted cereal grain (especially barley), is flavored with hops, and typically contains less than a 5% alcohol content compare ale, craft beer, lager entry 1, malt liquor sense 2

2

: a carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plant parts

birch beer

3

: fermented mash

4

: a drink of beer

Examples of beer in a Sentence

Would you like beer with dinner?

The pub brews its own beer.

I'll have a beer, please.

a couple of cold beers

a glass of birch beer

Recent Examples on the Web

On Saturday, Stanford ran onto the team bus with a crate of beers for her team in hand. — Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

In 2023, scientists used this approach to discover that beer byproducts were popular canvas primers for artists of the Danish Golden Age. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Barbecue, bacon and beer are the focal points of an All-American, food-centric event returning to Mount Dora this weekend. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, Op de Beeck slips everyday Belgian objects and historical motifs — Duvel beer bottles, supermarket glassware, waffles and typical Flemish still-life arrangements — into his immersive installations, sculptures and films. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ber, going back to Old English bēor, akin to Old High German bior "beer," Old Norse bjórr; perhaps all going back to a dissimilated form of Germanic *breura-, a nominal derivative of *brewwan- "to brew entry 1"

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beer

• beer and skittles
• beer belly
• beer goggles
• beer gut
• beer mat
• beer pong
• craft beer
• ginger beer
• lager beer
• light beer
• near beer
• root beer
• small beer
• spruce beer

Rhymes for beer

• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear
• here

Kids Definition

beer

noun

ˈbi(ə)r 

1

: an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops

2

: a nonalcoholic drink made from roots or other parts of plants

birch beer