v. brewed, brew·ing, brews v.tr. 1. To make (ale or beer) from malt and hops by infusion, boiling, and fermentation. 2. To make (a beverage) by boiling, steeping, or mixing various ingredients: brew tea. 3. To concoct; devise: brew a plot to overthrow the government. v.intr. 1. To make ale or beer as an occupation. 2. To be made by boiling or steeping: As the coffee brewed, I paced in the kitchen. n. 1. a. A beverage made by brewing. b. A serving of such a beverage. 2. Something produced as if by brewing; a mix: Their politics were a strange brew of idealism and self-interest. [Middle English brewen, from Old English brēowan; see bhreu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] brewage n. brewer n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.