brew

[ broo ]

verb (used with object)

1. to make (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermenting malt and hops.
2. to make or prepare (a beverage, as tea) by mixing, steeping, soaking, or boiling a solid in water.
3. to concoct, mix, or cook (a beverage or food, especially one containing unmeasured or unusual ingredients):

   She brewed a pot of soup from the leftovers.

4. to contrive, plan, or bring about:

   to brew mischief.

   Synonyms: hatch, devise, plot, scheme, concoct, cook up

verb (used without object)

1. to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.
2. to boil, steep, soak, or cook:

   Wait until the tea brews.

noun

1. a quantity brewed in a single process.
2. a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.
3. a hot beverage made by cooking a solid in water, especially tea or coffee.
4. any concoction, especially a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients:

   a witches' brew.

5. Informal.
   1. beer or ale.
   2. an individual serving of beer or ale:

      Let's have a few brews after the game.

brew

¹

/ bruː /

noun

1. dialect.
   a hill

brew

²

/ bruː /

verb

1. to make (beer, ale, etc) from malt and other ingredients by steeping, boiling, and fermentation
2. to prepare (a drink, such as tea) by boiling or infusing
3. tr to devise or plan

   to brew a plot

4. intr to be in the process of being brewed

   the tea was brewing in the pot

5. intr to be impending or forming

   there's a storm brewing

noun

1. a beverage produced by brewing, esp tea or beer

   a strong brew

2. an instance or time of brewing

   last year's brew

3. a mixture

   an eclectic brew of mysticism and political discontent

Derived Forms

• ˈbrewer, noun

Other Words From

• brewer noun
• mis·brew verb (used with object)
• re·brew verb
• un·brewed adjective
• under·brew verb (used with object)
• well-brewed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brew¹

before 900; Middle English brewen, Old English brēowan; akin to Dutch brouwen, German brauen, Old Norse brugga

Word History and Origins

Origin of brew¹

Old English brēowan ; related to Old Norse brugga , Old Saxon breuwan , Old High German briuwan

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be brewing, to be forming or gathering; be in preparation:

   Trouble was brewing.

Example Sentences

Shaena Brew, who broke her ankle last December, looked healthy and confident, finishing with 20 points.

From Los Angeles Times

“He was actually more chill today,” Brew said.

From Los Angeles Times

In the same way animal cells can be cultivated in a bioreactor and harvested to produce meat cell products – so cells extracted from coffee plants could be similarly grown, then fermented and roasted to produce a brew.

From BBC

I don’t think I’ll be switching – I can’t help but like that real coffee is grown by people somewhere – but beanless coffee certainly left me thinking I should investigate the sustainability and ethics of my conventional brew.

From BBC

Ingredients may change as it perfects its brew.

From BBC

Related Words

• beverage
• blend
• broth
• distillation
• drink
• liquor
• melange
• mélange
• mishmash
• mixture