lager

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noun

la·​ger ˈlä-gər 

variants or lager beer

plural lagers or lager beers

: a beer (such as a bock or pilsner) that is brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast (especially Saccharomyces pastorianus synonym S. carlsbergensis)

Note: Lagers tend to have a lighter, clearer appearance than ales with a usually lower alcohol content and slightly higher sugar content. The yeast used to ferment lager is often referred to as "bottom-fermenting" since it does not rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation.

Known for being crisper, cleaner and more refreshing than ales, lagers are lighter in body and alcohol while being moderate to high in carbonation.

—Kara Newman

All true lagers are aged before consumption. Lager in fact comes from the German word meaning to store.

—Dave Martin

Lager beer had developed in Central Europe and probably was introduced in the United States by Philadelphia brewer John Wagner …

—Donna R. Gabaccia

lager

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verb

lagered; lagering; lagers

transitive verb

: to store (beer and especially lager) at cold temperatures during a period of aging often accompanied by a secondary fermentation to improve flavor and clarity

The basic American beer is properly described as "lager," which means that the brew has been fermented in the bottom of a tank and then stored—lagered—for two to six weeks in order to smooth and mellow its flavor.

—Anthony Dias Blue

lagering noun

Minimum lagering times are in excess of 21 days, but the premium beers are matured for two to three months.

—Michael Jackson

Examples of lager in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And the size of the potential Mexico fanbase Sunday is far lager. —Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

BrewDog's bottled beers in a variety of styles, such as ales, stouts, India pale ales (IPA) and lagers, are distributed to British supermarkets and exported worldwide. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Verb

Can lager and horses heal a nation? —Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German Lagerbier beer made for storage, from Lager storehouse + Bier beer

First Known Use

Noun

1852, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1881, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lager

• lager lout

Rhymes for lager

• auger
• augur
• blogger
• dogger
• jogger
• laager
• logger
• cataloger
• cataloguer