ale

noun

\ ˈāl

How to pronounce ale (audio)

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Definition of ale

1 : an alcoholic beverage brewed especially by rapid fermentation from an infusion of malt with the addition of hops

2 : an English country festival at which ale is the principal beverage

Examples of ale in a Sentence

The bar serves two very different ales.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, the couple might not actually be the biggest ale aficionados. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Would Like a Pint of Beer Personally Poured by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge," 28 Feb. 2019 Driving home his preference for ales over harder liquors could have been a device to downplay the allegations that Kavanaugh was known as a heavy drinker. — Samantha Leach, Glamour, "Brett Kavanaugh Mentioned Beer 30 Times During the Senate Hearing. But Why?," 28 Sep. 2018 Released this July, BUMO 5 features a blend of Pearl Morissette Riesling and mixed fermentation wild ale that has been barrel aged on orange wine skins. — Claudia Mcneilly, Vogue, "Wine-Beer Is the Perfect Hybrid Drink to Sip From Summer to Fall," 3 Aug. 2018 But Anheuser-Busch couldn’t get all the area codes, and Firestone Walker pounced on its local digits to create a blonde ale ideal for slamming in the California sun: a touch grassy and mildly malty sweet in a lightly creamy body. — Josh Noel, chicagotribune.com, "11 easy-drinking, refreshing — and, yes, crushable — beers of summer," 6 June 2018 George Greenaway, who runs a brand new microbrewery in the Tamworth town center, worries about post-Brexit demand for his craft ales. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Britons Most at Risk in a Messy Split From EU Are Least Worried," 13 Jan. 2019 Dogfish Head took the top honor for best canned beer with its Seaquench ale, a session sour. — Allison Steele, Philly.com, "The winners of Craig LaBan's 2018 Brewvitational," 2 May 2018 Compared to your average ale, there are two big difference in how a pickle beer like the Birth of Cool is brewed. — Matt Allyn, Popular Mechanics, "How The Perfect Pickle Beer Is Made," 18 Oct. 2016 George Greenaway, head brewer at craft ale producer Tamworth Brewing Co., said he is concerned that demand for his beers might be dented if his customers feel the pinch from Brexit. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Britons Most at Risk in a Messy Split From EU Are Least Worried," 13 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for ale

ale

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ale

: an alcoholic drink that is similar to beer

See the full definition for ale in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ale

noun

\ ˈāl

\

Kids Definition of ale

: an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops that is usually more bitter than beer

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