Origin: French suffix -age
Beverage has 3 different meanings across 2 categories:
A liquid to consume; a drink, such as tea, coffee, liquor, beer, milk, juice, or soft drinks, usually excluding water.
"After dinner, we enjoyed a variety of non-alcoholic beverages like iced tea and orange juice while waiting for the dessert course."
In plain English: A beverage is any liquid that you drink, such as water, soda, or juice.
"He reached for his favorite beverage from the fridge to quench his thirst after running outside."
Usage: Use beverage in formal contexts when referring to any non-water drink like coffee, alcohol, or soda. Avoid using it for plain tap water unless you are specifically contrasting it with other mixed liquids.
A surname.
"The Beverages family has lived in this town for three generations."
The word "beverage" comes from the Old French bevrage, which originally meant "a drink." It traces its roots back to the Latin verb bibō, meaning "to drink."