Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word root beer. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word root beer, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say root beer in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word root beer you have here. The definition of the word root beer will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofroot beer, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
The term is attested since before the lifetime of Charles Elmer Hires, but he is widely credited with popularizing it much further than it had previously been; his proprietary beverage was inspired by an earlier root tea, and he planned to sell it under that name, but he changed its name to broaden the sales appeal. For more, see Wikipedia at root beer § History.
2002, Todd Wilbur, Top Secret Recipes, Penguin, →ISBN:
In 1919, when Roy Allen and Frank Wright started selling their new root beer beverage to a thirsty America, national Prohibition was taking its grip on the country. Their timing couldn't have been better. No longer able to legally drink real beer, thirsty patriots had to settle for this sweet, foamy concoction derived from roots, herbs, and berries.
I just keep staring at all the ink we have, that wild variety of color, everything from rootbeer, midnight blue and cochineal to mauve, light doe, lilac, south sea green, maize, even pelican black, all line up in these plastic caps[…]
2006, Tim Lewis, Bows, Swamps, Whitetails, page 28:
[…]most of our bucks have antlers that are varying degrees of brown, from a deep rich root beer shade to walnut to even light amber.
