malt
Americannoun
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germinated grain, usually barley, used in brewing and distilling.
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any alcoholic beverage, as beer, ale, or malt liquor, fermented from malt.
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whisky, as Scotch, that is distilled entirely from malted barley.
verb (used with object)
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to convert (grain) into malt by soaking it in water and allowing it to germinate.
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to treat or mix with malt, malt extract, etc.
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to make (liquor) with malt.
verb (used without object)
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to become malt.
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to produce malt from grain.
noun
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cereal grain, such as barley, that is kiln-dried after it has germinated by soaking in water
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See malt liquor
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short for malt whisky
verb
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to make into or become malt
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to make (something, esp liquor) with malt
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has maltedperfect 3rd person singular
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have maltedperfect
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have been maltingperfect progressive
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am maltingprogressive 1st person singular
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is maltingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are maltingprogressive
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has been maltingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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maltssingular 3rd person
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maltingparticiple
Past
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had maltedperfect
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were maltingprogressive plural
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had been maltingperfect progressive
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was maltingprogressive singular
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maltedsimple
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maltedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of malt
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mealt; cognate with Old Norse malt, German Malz; akin to melt 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like Neapolitan pizza, the New York bagel has certain well-defined characteristics: rolled from a cold-fermented, high-gluten, low-hydration dough flavored with malt syrup, kettle-boiled, then baked.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
In the 1970s, actor Billy Dee Williams was the iconic face of Colt 45 malt liquor.
From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026
“I think it will be good for us,” Hoak said, while hauling 55-pound bags of malt.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025
But in South Korea, you might find single malt whiskies, $800 French wines, 24K gold bars, shampoo and conditioner refill stations, televisions or a dine-in instant noodle bar with more than 200 varieties of ramyon.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025
I decided Mr. Harding was a chocolate malt shake, and I liked him a lot.
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
