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

In addition to cocktails and wine, Avize offers a few beers from Alpine countries and a selection of nonalcoholic cocktails. —Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 30 May 2026

The dinner menu will feature small plates, with sake, wine and beer, and a different soundtrack that will shift to music more suited to nightlife. —Connie Ogle may 30, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026

There's the 1934 song that has been performed and recorded for nearly 100 years (in addition to scores of other songs that refer to a Blue Moon), there are at least a half dozen films that bear the name, and there's even a beer - one that's turning blue this month in honor of the Blue Moon. —Doris Elin Urrutia, Space.com, 30 May 2026

Enjoy an afternoon of tie-dying and/or bleach-dying with music, food, drinks and a special beer release. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 30 May 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
• 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