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# ale

noun (ale, ales; uncountable for the drink, countable for a glass or kind)

«ale» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A kind of beer, often darker or stronger, made with malted barley. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#m1)
2. (old-fashioned) Any beer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#m2)

### In the lessons

Met in stories, especially old tales about inns and taverns, and in history: people in the Middle Ages drank ale because water could be unsafe. Ginger ale is a fizzy soft drink with no alcohol. Phrases: a pint of ale, ginger ale, pale ale.

### Examples

- The travellers drank ale at the inn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x1)
- Ginger ale is a fizzy drink for children too. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x2)
- In the Middle Ages, many people drank weak ale. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x3)
- The pub sells local ales. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x4)
- The innkeeper poured a mug of ale. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x5)
- She ordered a ginger ale with ice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x6)
- Quoth he: "I like a glass of good ale and a well-toasted bannock. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/#x7)

### Note

Homophone: ail (to be ill). Alcoholic, except ginger ale. Countable for kinds or glasses (two ales), uncountable for the drink.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ale» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/ale/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ale» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ale.html) on Mova free.