Word
malt
US/ˈmɔɫt/
UK/mˈɒlt/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. grain, usually barley, that has been soaked in water and dried to prepare it for making beer or whiskey. You might also find it in some sweets or milkshakes for a sweet, toasted flavor.
n. grain, typically barley, that has been germinated by soaking in water and then dried to halt further growth. This process develops the enzymes required to turn starches into fermentable sugars.
Examples
“The brewer added extra malt to give the beer a richer flavor.”
“The distillery uses locally grown barley to produce the high-quality malt essential for their signature single-malt scotch.”
“The complex profile of the stout is achieved through a blend of chocolate and crystal malts, which impart deep notes of coffee and caramel during the mashing process.”
Examples
simple
“The brewer added extra malt to give the beer a richer flavor.”
contextual
“The distillery uses locally grown barley to produce the high-quality malt essential for their signature single-malt scotch.”
complex
“The complex profile of the stout is achieved through a blend of chocolate and crystal malts, which impart deep notes of coffee and caramel during the mashing process.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific varieties or types of malt used in brewing.
Real-World Examples
“If you’ve ever enjoyed a proper chocolate malt that’s loaded with clumps of delicious malt powder, you’ll know what I mean, and you may even enjoy this as much as I did.” Etymology
From Middle English malt, from Old English mealt, from Proto-West Germanic malt, from Proto-Germanic maltą (“malt”), from maltaz (“soft; nesh; weak; squashy; melting”), from Proto-Indo-European meld-, *mled- (“to crush; grind; make weak”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Moalt (“malt”), Dutch mout (“malt”), German Malz (“malt”), Swedish malt (“malt”), Old Church Slavonic младъ (mladŭ, “tender; young”), Russian молодой (molodoj, “young; fresh; new”). The Proto-Germanic noun was borrowed into Proto-Slavic as *malta; compare Ukrainian мо́лот (mólot), Czech mláto. More at melt.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. ball of malt
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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