Middle English ber, from Old English bēor; akin to Old High German bior beer
Date:
before 12th century
1: an alcoholic beverage usually made from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation2: a carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plant parts <birch beer>3: fermented mash4: a drink of beer