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

Where? Anyone who visits the Franklin Beer Garden at Croatian Park, 9100 S. 76th St., between 5 and 10 p.m. Thursday, July 24, gets a free beer. —Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 25 July 2025

Police claimed that Ramirez admitted to consuming three beers on his way home from work. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2025

Where to Eat: Try the hotel’s bistro, Petit Plaisir, for seasonal French cuisine, or enjoy local specialties and beer at Gasthof Adler. —Sofia Markovich, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2025

Oktoberfest 2025: German food, beer, live music and entertainment for the entire family all day long both indoors and outdoors. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025

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
• 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