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Webster 1913 Edition


Wort

Wort

,
Noun.
[OE.
wort
,
wurt
, AS.
wyrt
herb, root; akin to OS.
wurt
, G.
wurz
, Icel.
jurt
,
urt
, Dan.
urt
, Sw.
ört
, Goth.
waúrts
a root, L.
radix
, Gr. [GREEK] a root, [GREEK] a branch, young shoot, [GREEK] a branch, and E.
root
, n. Cf.
Licorice
,
Orchard
,
Radish
,
Root
,
Noun.
,
Whortleberry
,
Wort
an infusion of malt.]
1.
(Bot.)
A plant of any kind.
☞ This word is now chiefly used in combination, as in colewort, figwort, St. John’s-wort, woundwort, etc.
2.
pl.
Cabbages.

Wort

,
Noun.
[OE.
worte
,
wurte
, AS.
wyrte
; akin to OD.
wort
, G.
würze
, bier
würze
, Icel.
virtr
, Sw.
vört
. See
Wort
an herb.]
An infusion of malt which is unfermented, or is in the act of fermentation; the sweet infusion of malt, which ferments and forms beer; hence, any similar liquid in a state of incipient fermentation.
Wort consists essentially of a dilute solution of sugar, which by fermentation produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Webster 1828 Edition


Wort

WORT

,
Noun.
[G., L., to grow; green.]
1.
A plant; an herb; now used chiefly or wholly in compounds; as in mugwort, liverwort, spleenwort.
2.
A plant of the cabbage kind.
3.
New beer unfermented, or in the act of fermentation; the sweet infusion of malt.