Word of the Day
4 February 2026
wort
nounManufacturing
Also worts: a liquid extracted from mash (ground malt or some other grain soaked in hot water), which is then fermented to make beer, or fermented and distilled to make a malt liquor such as whisky.
Why this one
Same old word as the wort in St John's wort, from a root meaning plant or herb. Brewers still split it in two: sweet wort off the mash, hopped wort after the boil, and gravity is read on both.
In use
Wort came off the lauter a bit cloudy this morning, so we ran the first bit back through before it hit the kettle.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.