: plant
especially : an herbaceous plant
usually used in combination
lousewort

wort

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a sweet liquid drained from mash and fermented to make beer and whiskey

Examples of wort in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So Smith and company make a wort, or beer base, that’s low in maltose and high in the other sugars. Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2024 But the secret to their single malt isn’t just about the raw materials—Fraser likes to run things low and slow, fermenting the wort for up to seven days using proprietary yeast. Karla Alindahao, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Between water lost in the boil, water used to cool the wort, and water used for cleaning equipment, a brewery could need eight gallons of water to brew one gallon of beer — and that doesn’t include the water-intensive steeping process of malting the grain. Tony Rehagen, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023 Hops are added to make the wort — hot, sweet food for yeast. Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2019 Where sight lines are not an issue, little bluestem, shrubby Saint John’s wort (Hypericum prolificum), beach plum (Prunus maritima), and bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) are workhorses. Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 12 July 2023 This supplement uses a unique blend of natural ingredients, including bacopa, St. John's wort, and gingko biloba, to promote optimal brain health. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2023 Look for bursts of bright blue harebell and purple beach pea in June, with the spectacular yellow of St. John’s wort later in the season. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 May 2023 The largest ingredient in SonoVive is St. John’s wort. Brian Robinson, Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English wyrt root, herb, plant — more at root

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English wyrt; akin to Middle High German würze brewer's wort, Old English wyrt root, herb

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wort was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wort

Cite this Entry

“Wort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wort. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wort

noun
ˈwərt,
ˈwȯ(ə)rt
: a sweet liquid that is drained from mash made from crushed malt or grain meal and that is fermented to make beer and whiskey

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