Hops
/hɒps/noun
The dried flowers of the hop plant, used to flavor and preserve beer; also the hop plant itself.
Did you know?Hops entered English relatively late, and their use in beer was once controversial because they replaced older herbal gruit mixtures that were often tied to local ritual and tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kewp-
“to swell, bend, or curve”
Old English
OE
hoppian
“to spring, leap, or move by hopping”
Middle English
ME
hoppe
“a hop plant; also a leap or bound”
14th–15th Century
English
hops
“the flowers of the hop plant used in brewing”
Modern English
English
hops
“the dried cones of Humulus lupulus used in beer and brewing”