Definition

1. Noun:
   • A kiln for drying hops: An "oast" is a specialized structure or building, typically with a conical or pyramidal roof, designed for drying hops (the flowers used in brewing beer) using heated air.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old farm had a traditional oast house with a distinctive roundel.
  • Hops were spread on the floor of the oast to be dried by the warm air from the furnace.

Advanced Usage

• "Oast house": This is the most common compound term. It refers to the entire building that contains the drying kiln (the oast). The term is often used to describe the picturesque, conical-roofed buildings historically common in hop-growing regions like Kent, England.
  • The countryside is dotted with converted oast houses that are now homes.

Variants and Related Words

• Oast house (n): The building housing one or more oast kilns.
• Kiln (n): A more general term for a furnace or oven for burning, drying, or processing something (e.g., a lime kiln, a pottery kiln). An oast is a specific type of kiln.
• Hop kiln (n): A synonym for "oast."

Synonyms

• Hop kiln: A direct synonym.
• Drying kiln: A more general descriptive term.

Notes on Meaning

• The word "oast" is highly specific and is almost exclusively used in the context of hop drying and traditional agriculture. It is not a common word in everyday modern English but is recognized in historical, architectural, and brewing contexts.

Noun

1. a kiln for drying hops