Definition

1. Noun:
   • Unfermented or fermenting malt: The liquid extracted from malted grain, especially barley, before or during fermentation in the brewing of beer or the production of distilled spirits.
   • A plant or herb (archaic): An old or chiefly botanical term for a plant, herb, or vegetable. This meaning is now rare and primarily appears in historical texts or in specific compound plant names.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Brewing context):

  • The brewer checked the specific gravity of the wort before adding the yeast.
  • After boiling, the hot wort is cooled rapidly to prepare it for fermentation.

• Noun (Botanical/Archaic context):

  • The old herbalist referred to the medicinal plant simply as a "wort." (This usage is now uncommon in modern English.)

Advanced Usage

• In compound plant names: The term "-wort" is frequently used as a suffix in the common names of various plants, often indicating a historical use or characteristic.
  • Liverwort is a type of non-vascular plant, not related to the liver, but historically thought to treat liver ailments.
  • St. John's wort is a well-known herb used for its medicinal properties.
  • Mugwort and milkwort are other examples of plants named with this suffix.

Variants and Related Words

• Worty (adj, obsolete): Pertaining to or consisting of plants or herbs.
• Wort kettle / Copper (n): The large vessel in a brewery where the wort is boiled with hops.

Synonyms

• Mash (n): In brewing, a mixture of ground malt and hot water, which is later separated to produce the wort. (Note: "Mash" is the mixture, while "wort" is the strained liquid.)
• Infusion (n): A liquid extract, often used in a broader context than brewing.
• Herb (n): For the archaic botanical sense.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Modern Meaning: In contemporary English, "wort" is almost exclusively a technical term in brewing and distilling. Outside of this industry and the specific context of compound plant names, the word is rarely used.
• Archaic Botanical Meaning: The standalone use of "wort" to mean "plant" is considered archaic. Its survival is almost entirely in the form of the suffix "-wort" in plant nomenclature, which often hints at old folk beliefs about the plant's uses (e.g., for lung ailments, ).

Noun

1. unfermented or fermenting malt
2. usually used in combination: `liverwort'; `milkwort'; `whorlywort'