beer

¹ American  

[beer] / bɪər /

noun

1. an alcoholic beverage made by brewing and fermentation from cereals, usually malted barley, and flavored with hops and the like for a slightly bitter taste.

2. any of various beverages, whether alcoholic or not, made from roots, molasses or sugar, yeast, etc..

   root beer; ginger beer.

3. an individual serving of beer; a glass, can, or bottle of beer.

   We'll have three beers.

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Beer ² American  

[beer] / bɪər /

noun

1. Thomas, 1889–1940, U.S. author.

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beer British  

/ bɪə /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink brewed from malt, sugar, hops, and water and fermented with yeast Compare ale

2. a slightly fermented drink made from the roots or leaves of certain plants

   ginger beer

   nettle beer

3. (modifier) relating to or used in the drinking of beer

   beer glass

   beer mat

4. (modifier) in which beer is drunk, esp (of licensed premises) having a licence to sell beer

   beer house

   beer cellar

   beer garden

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Etymology

Origin of beer

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bere, Old English bēor; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German bior, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch bēr, Dutch, German Bier ( Old Norse bjōrr, probably from Old English); further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

He also writes the Weekend Sip column, which covers wine, spirits and beer.

From MarketWatch

The supermarket fixture known for its red-capped spices traces its roots to founder Willoughby McCormick, who at 25 years old started selling root beer, flavoring extracts, and fruit syrups door-to-door.

From The Wall Street Journal

That is bad news for big users of the malleable metal, from Michigan’s auto parts makers and Indiana’s recreational-vehicle factories to beer and soda companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

She says it was only "a few years ago" when she and fellow contestant Amy Gledhill were performing in a Leeds club "where the green room is essentially a cupboard with beer barrels as seats".

From BBC

Canada, a huge market for American alcohol, largely cleared its shelves of liquor, wine and beer from the U.S. over a year ago, cutting that market off nearly completely.

From The Wall Street Journal