ale

IPA/eɪl/
KK[ˈel]IPA/eɪl/

ale — noun

  • alesingular
  • alesplural

1. a style of beer produced with warm fermentation, often fuller in taste than lage

1.nounB2
Definition

a style of beer produced with warm fermentation, often fuller in taste than lager and sometimes darker in colour

Example

Leo ordered a pale ale and a bowl of chips at the pub.

collocation: pale ale

At the village fair, Selim tried a local ale from the new brewery.

local ale / brewery context

Common collocations
  • pale ale
  • dark ale
  • local ale
  • drink ale
Synonyms
  • beer

    broader term that includes ale, lager, and other styles

  • lager

    another major beer family, usually cleaner and crisper in taste

  • stout

    a dark roasted style within the ale family

Grammar Patterns

drink ale

a pale / dark / local ale

Usage Note

Often used for a type or style rather than just one drink, so speakers commonly add a modifier such as pale, dark, or local. In everyday conversation, people may say beer when the exact brewing style is not important.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Beer' is the wide general term for the drink, while 'ale' names one major family inside beer. Ales are usually brewed with warm fermentation and often taste fuller or fruitier than lagers. 'Lager' is the other big family and is often cleaner, crisper, and lighter in feel. 'Stout' is a dark roasted kind of ale, so every stout is an ale, but not every ale is a stout. 'Bitter' is a British pub style of ale with a noticeable hop bite. If you only mean the drink in general, say 'beer'. If a menu lists pale ale, brown ale, or bitter, 'ale' is the more exact word.

beer ↗lager ↗stout ↗bitter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • pale ale
  • dark ale
  • local ale

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'ale' comes from Old English ealu, a very old Germanic word for beer. It is related to similar beer words in other early Germanic languages, showing that the drink and its name were both established long before modern English.