- brew
- O.E. breowan "to brew" (class II strong verb, past tense breaw, past participle browen), from P.Gmc. *breuwan "to brew" (cf. O.N. brugga, O.Fris. briuwa, M.Du. brouwen, O.H.G. briuwan, Ger. brauen "to brew"), from PIE base *bhreue- "to bubble, boil, effervesce" (cf. Skt. bhurnih "violent, passionate," Gk. phrear "well, spring, cistern," L. fervere "to boil, foam," Thracian Gk. brytos "fermented liquor made from barley," Rus. bruja "current," O.Ir. bruth "heat;" O.E. beorma "yeast;" O.H.G. brato "roast meat"), the original sense thus being "make a drink by boiling." Related: Brewed; brewing. The noun is c.1500, from the verb.