Ale

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /eɪl/
• Rhymes: -eɪl

Origin

Old English ealu, ealo, from Proto-Germanic *alu (compare Dutch aal, Swedish öl), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elu- ‘bitter’. Compare Latin alum ("comfrey"), alūta ("tawed leather"), Polish (Eastern) jełki, iłki ("rancid"), Ancient Greek ἀλύδοιμος ("bitter"), and Albanian all ("of reddish colour")

Full definition of ale

Noun

1. An intoxicating liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation and the addition of a bitter, usually hops.Note: The word ale, in England and the United States, usually designates a heavier kind of fermented liquor, and the word beer a lighter kind. The word beer is also in common use as the generic name for all non-distilled malt liquors.
2. A festival in English country places, so called from the liquor drunk.

Synonyms

• (liquor) beer loosely, yill

Derived terms

Anagrams

• ELA, LAE, LEA, Lea, lea