Malt

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔːlt

Origin

From Old English mealt, malt, from Proto-Germanic *maltą. Cognate with Dutch mout, German Malz, Swedish malt. The Proto-Germanic noun is likely a borrowing from Proto-Slavic *malta; compare Ukrainian молот, Czech mláto.

Full definition of malt

Noun

1. Malted grain (sprouted grain) (usually barley), used in brewing and otherwise.
2. Malt liquor, especially malt whisky.
• 1896, A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad, LXII:Oh many a peer of England brewsLivelier liquor than the Muse,And malt does more than Milton canTo justify God's ways to man.
3. (US) Short for "malted milk shake", a milkshake with malted milk powder added for flavor
4. Maltose-rich sugar derived from malted grain.

Derived terms

• maltose
• malty
• malt liquor
• single malt
• double malt
• triple malt

Verb

1. To convert a cereal grain into malt by causing it to sprout (by soaking in water) and then halting germination (by drying with hot air) in order to develop enzymes that can break down starches and proteins in the grain.

Anagrams

• matl