root beer

noun

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of root beer

: a sweetened, usually carbonated, brown beverage flavored with extracts of roots (such as sarsaparilla or sassafras) and herbs (such as wintergreen) or with artificial flavorings

See root beer defined for English-language learners

See root beer defined for kids

Examples of root beer in a Sentence

a bottle of root beer

Recent Examples of root beer from the Web

Options include a bacon cheeseburger with choice of cheese and toppings, a chili cheese hot dog, buffalo chicken fries and a root beer float.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "New restaurants in Phoenix in March: 37 openings in a month may set a record," 2 Apr. 2018
Live entertainment, rides on carousel, free root beer bar and more.

— luann gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "St. Patrick's Day events in Cincinnati," 14 Mar. 2018
That’s where the Emericks died on a cloudy Thursday last spring, six days after a family celebration that included their children and grandchildren — and, at Francie’s request, root beer floats.

— jonel aleccia, Philly.com, "Married 66 years and both terminally ill, this Oregon couple chose to die together," 9 Mar. 2018
That’s where the Emericks died on a cloudy Thursday last spring, six days after a family celebration that included their children and grandchildren — and, at Francie’s request, root beer floats.

— jonel aleccia, Washington Post, "Oregon Couple’s Final Days Captured In Intimate Aid-In-Dying Video," 7 Mar. 2018
Request a scoop of soft serve in your root beer and voila—dessert!

— jessica leigh mattern, Country Living, "12 Insanely Delicious Things You Need to Order from Chick-fil-A's Secret Menu ASAP," 23 Feb. 2018
Seibt is brewing root beer, which the brewery used to make.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Willoughby Brewing Co. marks 20 years with specials and a lot of history," 19 Feb. 2018
In medium bowl, whisk root beer, sugar, ginger and cloves. Pour all over ham.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Baked Ham With Root Beer Glaze," 21 Mar. 2016
That’s where the Emericks died on a cloudy Thursday last spring, six days after a family celebration that included their children and grandchildren — and, at Francie’s request, root beer floats.

— jonel aleccia, Philly.com, "Married 66 years and both terminally ill, this Oregon couple chose to die together," 9 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of root beer

1815

ROOT BEER Defined for English Language Learners

root beer

noun

Definition of root beer for English Language Learners

: a sweet, brown drink that is flavored with roots and herbs and that contains bubbles

ROOT BEER Defined for Kids

root beer

noun

Definition of root beer for Students

: a sweet drink flavored with extracts of roots and herbs

Learn More about root beer

See words that rhyme with root beer Spanish Central: Translation of root beer Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about root beer

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up root beer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

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root beer

Definition of root beer

Examples of root beer in a Sentence

Recent Examples of root beer from the Web

First Known Use of root beer

ROOT BEER Defined for English Language Learners

root beer

Definition of root beer for English Language Learners

ROOT BEER Defined for Kids

root beer

Definition of root beer for Students

Learn More about root beer

Seen and Heard

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Definition of root beer

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Recent Examples of root beer from the Web

First Known Use of root beer

ROOT BEER Defined for English Language Learners

root beer

Definition of root beer for English Language Learners

ROOT BEER Defined for Kids

root beer

Definition of root beer for Students

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