malt

1 of 2

noun

ˈmȯlt 

1

: grain (such as barley) softened by steeping in water, allowed to germinate, and used especially in brewing and distilling

2

: malt liquor

3

: malted milk

malty

ˈmȯl-tē 

adjective

malt

2 of 2

verb

malted; malting; malts

transitive verb

1

: to convert into malt

2

: to make or treat with malt or malt extract

intransitive verb

1

: to become malt

2

: to make grain into malt

Examples of malt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The restaurant will be handing out free malts and FBI flyers with information about the Hendersonville teen's disappearance. —Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Nov. 2025

Basically, hop bitterness, roast malt, carbonation and alcohol can all balance sweetness and fatty richness in food, and the malty sweetness in certain beers can balance the acidity and hot spiciness of foods with those characteristics. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Verb

Most distilleries in Scotland don’t actually malt their own barley, the process in which barley is germinated and then heated to stop the process before being turned into mash and distilled. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2025

The brewing process The brewing process takes raw cereal grain – usually from barley – and converts its starch and proteins into simpler chemicals by malting. —Alcina Johnson Sudagar, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English mealt; akin to Old High German malz malt, Old English meltan to melt

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing malt

• malt liquor
• malt sugar
• malt whiskey
• single malt

Rhymes for malt

• alt
• fault
• gault
• halt
• sault
• vault
• walt
• asphalt
• assault
• basalt
• cobalt
• default

Kids Definition

malt

1 of 2 noun

ˈmȯlt 

1

: grain and especially barley steeped in water and used chiefly in brewing and distilling

2

: malted milk sense 2

malt adjective

malt

2 of 2 verb

1

: to convert into malt

2

: to make or treat with malt or malt extract

Medical Definition

malt

1 of 2 noun

ˈmȯlt 

: grain softened by steeping in water, allowed to germinate, and used especially in brewing and distilling

MALT

2 of 2 abbreviation

mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue