Forms: 3–7 beuerage, beverege, 5 beuereche, -iche, 5–7 beuurage, 7 beueridge, beurage, beuvrage, beauvrage, biverage, 7–8 beveridge, 8 beuverage, 4– beverage. [ME. a. OF. bevrage, buverage (mod.F. breuvage), a com. Romanic formation, in Pr. beutrage, Sp. bebrage, Pg. beberagem, It. beveraggio; f. the sb. bevere, bevre (in OF. beivre, see BEVER sb.) ‘drinking’ + -AGE: L. type *biberāticum.]
1. Drink, liquor for drinking; esp. a liquor that constitutes a common article of consumption.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1433. Bryng hem now to my borde, of beuerage hem fylles.
c. 1400. Maundev., xii. 141. Gode Beuerage and swete and norysshynge that is made of Galamelle.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 52. Metes delicious and with al beuurages and drynkes sumptuous.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., I. ii. 346. If from me he haue wholesome Beueridge.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 74. Sherbet-men (who make the foresaid beurage).
1791. Boswell, Johnson (1831), I. 297. Tea … that elegant and popular beverage.
1870. Yeats, Nat. Hist. Comm., 116. Cocoa and maté, or Paraguay tea, are the beverages of South America.
fig. 1647. W. Browne, Polex., II. 309. The soules of the Embassadors lay … drown’d in that delicious bev’rage wherein Polexander’s Eloquence had throwne them.
2. fig. A ‘draught’ which has been brewed, and must be drunk; the bitter or sorrowful sequel of any conduct. Cf. BREW.
1297. R. Glouc., 26. A luþer beuerage to here bihofþe þei browe.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 4365. A sorye beverage ther was browen.
† 3. Drinking, a drink or draught. Obs.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 189. Bargeyns and beuerages · bigonne to aryse.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 56. New wines which were naught for beuurage.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 170. The standing Waters … yield Too large a Bev’rage to the drunken Field.
b. = BEVER sb. 3.
1577. Harrison, England, II. vi. (1877), 162. We had beuerages or nuntions after dinner.
4. spec. Various kinds of drink: a. The liquor made by pouring water over the pressed grapes, after the wine has been drawn off. b. West Indian term for lemonade. c. In Devonshire, small cider.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., viii. 36. The Cooper is … to … repaire the … Hogsheads,… &c. For Wine, Bear, Sider, Beverage, Fresh-water.
1705. Lond. Gaz., No. 4159/4. About 5 Tun of Beveridge at 20s. per Tun.
1721. C. King, Brit. Merch., I. 7. They generally drink … a sort of Liquor they call Beuverage (which is Water pass’d thro the Husks of Grapes after the Wine is drawn off).
1796. W. Marshall, W. England, I. 324. Beverage: water cider, or small cider.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1859), 389. The bottle of Lemonade or Beverage as it is called in Jamaica.
† 5. A drink, or drink-money, demanded on certain occasions, as e.g., from one who for the first time wears a new suit of clothes, etc. Now dial.
1721. Bailey, To pay Beverage, to give a treat upon the first wearing of a new Suit of Cloths.
1755. Johnson, Beverage, a treat at first coming into a prison, called also garnish.
1808. Jamieson, s.v., ‘She gat the beverage o’ his braw new coat.’
