ale

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈeɪl/ UK /eɪl/ See IPA manual

Homophones

ail /eɪl/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like ell /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/ Sounds like l /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Freq #9144

Meanings

1

noun
a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast

in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms ale-benchale-blownale-bushale-connerale-draperale-draperyale-hoofale-houseale-knightale-poleale-stakeale-taster

Related forms alehouse bridal

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

ginger ale
a fizzy drink flavored with ginger

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Ale is recorded from Old English and was the usual word before beer became common in the 16th century. It now refers to a drink made without hops and continues to be applied to paler liquors made with malt that has not been roasted. Some areas use ale and beer interchangeably.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂elut-der. Proto-Germanic *alu Proto-West Germanic *alu Old English ealu Middle English ale English ale From Middle English ale, from Old English ealu, ealo, from Proto-West Germanic *alu, from Proto-Germanic *alu (compare Dutch aal, Swedish öl), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elut- (“beer”), or *h₂elu- (“bitter”). Compare Russian ол (ol), Lithuanian alùs, Armenian օղի (ōġi); compare also Latin alum (“comfrey”), alūta (“tawed leather”), Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος (alúdoimos, “bitter”).

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# ale

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈeɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /eɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 9144

## Meanings
1. a general name for beer made with a top fermenting yeast

## Examples
- in some of the United States an ale is (by law) a brew of more than 4% alcohol by volume

## Derived Forms
- ale-bench
- ale-blown
- ale-bush
- ale-conner
- ale-draper
- ale-drapery
- ale-hoof
- ale-house
- ale-knight
- ale-pole
- ale-stake
- ale-taster

## Related Forms
- alehouse
- bridal

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂elut-der. Proto-Germanic *alu Proto-West Germanic *alu Old English ealu Middle English ale English ale From Middle English ale, from Old English ealu, ealo, from Proto-West Germanic *alu, from Proto-Germanic *alu (compare Dutch aal, Swedish öl), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elut- (“beer”), or *h₂elu- (“bitter”). Compare Russian ол (ol), Lithuanian alùs, Armenian օղի (ōġi); compare also Latin alum (“comfrey”), alūta (“tawed leather”), Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος (alúdoimos, “bitter”).

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

markdown

ale