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

Follow Tse for continued coverage of the business of and innovations in beer and whiskey. —Don Tse, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Last Saturday, Carney invited Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, for beers and Stanley Cup Final hockey prior to the G7 summit. —Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 17 June 2025

The cup can hold a pint of beer (16 ounces), keeping it crisp and cold even on the hottest nights. —Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025

Most of the twenty-odd beers on tap come from breweries that are owned or operated by women, and there are drinks named for the pioneering golfer Patty Berg (an Arnold Palmer with a cherry on top) and for Title IX. —Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 16 June 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