brew

1 of 2

verb

brewed; brewing; brews

transitive verb

1
: to prepare (beer, ale, etc.) by steeping, boiling, and fermentation or by infusion and fermentation
2
a
: to bring about : foment
brew trouble
b
3
: to prepare (a drink or other liquid) by infusion in hot water
brew tea

intransitive verb

1
: to brew beer or ale
2
: to be in the process of forming
a storm is brewing
brewer
ˈbrü-ər How to pronounce brew (audio)
ˈbru̇(-ə)r
noun

brew

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a brewed beverage (such as beer)
b
: a serving of a brewed beverage
quaff a few brews
c
: something produced by or as if by brewing
2
: the process of brewing

Examples of brew in a Sentence

Verb They brew the beer on the premises. The restaurant also brews its own ginger ale and root beer. They've been brewing in the new brewery since March. I'll brew another pot of tea. It feels like there's a storm brewing. Noun I'll buy you a brew. a manufacturer of specialty brews a perfect cup of brew time for a quick brew
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Special beer would be brewed by the monks for that purpose — stronger, richer and darker to sustain the monks during their fast. Don Tse, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Bock beer, a German beer that was first brewed in Einbeck, Germany, will be the signature beer for the festival. Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 Armed with a pinch of speculation and a dash of insider voter knowledge, Variety can dish out some juicy insights into what might be brewing in those voting chambers. Clayton Davis, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 But something different started brewing in the company’s Slack channels. IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024 Joe Biden: And by the way, used to make beer brewed here. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Southern Californians should brace for more wet weather next week — a new storm is brewing in the region to cap off a historically wet month. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Rieth's original lagers were brewed in the German tradition. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Feb. 2024 In each of these natural pools brews a precise blend of chemicals and physical conditions that could serve as the source of life on our planet. Ayurella Horn-Muller, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024
Noun
Paired with Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock — the famed Black Hippy quartet at the center of Top Dawg Entertainment — Schoolboy Q has long seemed like the hooded thug quietly nursing a brew in the corner of the room, only to startle his friends with an energetic, hair-raising party chant. Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Their chef, Roger Evaristo, is from Brazil and has prepared a menu of burgers, pizzas and sandwiches and pairing items with a craft brew. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 Here's how to get a brew onto the bracket. ⚖️ Biden's FTC sues to kill Kroger takeover of Albertsons. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 The relatively liberal culture of Athens, its local immigration policies, and the border crisis have combined with a brutal crime to create a toxic brew at Georgia’s flagship university, where student politics runs the gamut. Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Its earliest brews in the works include a peach sour, a tropical double IPA and a stout. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2024 America is suffering from the Biden-demic, which is a deadly toxic brew of the border-demic, inflation-demic and crime-demic, all of which are compounded by the spending-demic, drug-demic, homeless-demic and war-demic. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 This $70 single-serve K-Express coffee maker was one of our favorite Keurigs, boasting a fast brew time and slim design for small spaces. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024 Keep your butter brew mug as a souvenir, Cook said. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brew.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English brēowan; akin to Latin fervēre to boil — more at barm

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1510, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of brew was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near brew

Cite this Entry

“Brew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brew. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brew

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make (as beer or ale) from water, malt, and hops
2
: to try to bring about : plot, plan
brew mischief
3
: to prepare (as tea) by soaking in hot water
4
: to start to form
a storm is brewing
brewer
ˈbrü-ər How to pronounce brew (audio)
ˈbru̇(-ə)r
noun

brew

2 of 2 noun
: a brewed beverage

More from Merriam-Webster on brew

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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