English Reference
Idiom idiom

ball of malt


A glass of whiskey.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He enjoyed a quiet ball of malt after work.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day in the cold, he sat by the fire and ordered a ball of malt.

COMPLEX

The old friends gathered at the tavern, each savoring a smooth ball of malt while they reminisced about their youth.


From *ball*, a term for a glass, and *malt*, denoting whiskey. The compound serves as an informal Irish designation for a measure of the spirit.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    ball hog

    In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.

  2. 02

    ball of fire

    A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.

  3. 03

    balls of steel

    Courage, audacity.

  4. 04

    balls to the wall

    With maximum effort or commitment.

  5. 05

    bust one's balls

    To work very hard; to put in a lot of effort.

  6. 06

    carry the ball

    To lead in terms of responsibility, initiative, or progress.

  7. 07

    cobblers

    [Cockney slang]balls or 'bollocks'

  8. 08

    drag one's balls across

    To exert extreme, often aggressive, power or control over; dominate.

Last updated August 10, 2026