Definition

1. Noun:

   • A processed cereal grain: A grain, typically barley, that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then halted from further germination by drying with hot air (kilning). This process develops the sugars and flavors used primarily in brewing alcoholic drinks like beer and in distilling spirits.
   • A beverage: A type of alcoholic lager with a high alcohol content, or a non-alcoholic drink made with malt powder, such as a malted milkshake.

2. Verb:

   • To convert into malt: To process grain (like barley) by soaking, allowing it to germinate, and then drying it to produce malt.
   • To treat with malt: To add malt or malt extract to something, such as a beverage or food.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The flavor of this beer comes from the special malt used in brewing.
  • He ordered a chocolate malt at the diner.
• Verb:
  • The barley is left to malt for several days.
  • Some breweries malt their own grain on-site.

Advanced Usage

• "Malted" (Adjective): Describes something that has been treated with or contains malt.
  • I prefer malted milk balls to plain chocolate.
• "Malting" (Gerund/Noun): The process of converting grain into malt.
  • Malting is a crucial first step in whisky production.

Variants and Related Words

• Malty (Adjective): Having the characteristic sweet, rich flavor or aroma of malt.
  • This ale has a wonderfully malty taste.
• Maltster (Noun): A person or company that produces malt.
• Malt extract (Noun): A thick, sweet syrup derived from malt, used in brewing and baking.

Synonyms

• Malted grain: (For the noun form referring to the processed grain).
• Germinate: (For the verb process of starting growth, though not specific to the full malting process).

Related Phrases

• Malt liquor: A North American term for a type of beer with high alcohol content, often made with a significant proportion of malt.
• Malt sugar: Another term for maltose, the sugar present in malt.

Idioms

• To be malted: This is not a common idiom. The word is primarily used in its literal sense within food, beverage, and agricultural contexts.

Noun

1. a cereal grain (usually barley) that is kiln-dried after having been germinated by soaking in water; used especially in brewing and distilling
2. a lager of high alcohol content; by law it is considered too alcoholic to be sold as lager or beer
3. a milkshake made with malt powder

Verb

1. convert into malt
2. convert grain into malt
3. turn into malt, become malt
4. treat with malt or malt extract
   • malt beer