US /ˈeɪl/ UK /eɪl/
Homophones
noun Freq #9144

Meanings

  1. 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 alehousebridal

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”).

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