brew

—brewer, n.

/brooh/, v.t.

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, esp. 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.

v.i.

5. to make a fermented alcoholic malt beverage, as beer or ale.

6. to boil, steep, soak, or cook: Wait until the tea brews.

7. be brewing, to be forming or gathering; be in preparation: Trouble was brewing.

n.

8. a quantity brewed in a single process.

9. a particular brewing or variety of malt liquor.

10. a hot beverage made by cooking a solid in water, esp. tea or coffee.

11. any concoction, esp. a liquid produced by a mixture of unusual ingredients: a witches' brew.

12. Informal.

a. beer or ale.

b. an individual serving of beer or ale: Let's have a few brews after the game.

[bef. 900; ME brewen, OE breowan; akin to D brouwen, G brauen, ON brugga]

Syn. 4. concoct, scheme, plot, devise, hatch, cook up.

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