Mead
/miːd/noun
An alcoholic drink made by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with fruits or spices.
Did you know?Mead is one of the oldest known alcoholic drinks, and in many Indo-European cultures honeyed drink was tied to feasting, ritual, and divine gifts rather than everyday thirst.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*médʰu
“Honey, sweet drink, mead”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*meduz
“Mead, fermented honey drink”
Old English
OE
medu
“Mead, alcoholic drink made from honey”
Old Norse
ON
mjǫðr
“Mead”
Middle English
ME
mede
“Mead”
Modern English
English
mead
“Honey wine”
Explore more surprising origins