Maltings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A facility where grains are soaked, germinated, and then dried for brewing or distilling purposes
2. A place dedicated to the process of converting barley and other grains into malt by controlling moisture and temperature
3. Establishments engaged in the production of malted grains for use in beverages like beer and whiskey

Etymology: Maltings is a plural noun, the plural of "malting," a building or set of buildings where grain is steeped, germinated and dried to make malt. The singular "malting" is formed from "malt" plus the "-ing" suffix, which in this sense marks the place or process, so the plural refers to the whole complex of such rooms and kilns. "Malt" itself is an Old English word, "mealt," traceable to a Germanic root meaning "to soften or become soft," a reference to the grain softening when soaked in water. The word has been used in English since at least the Old English period, and it is the same root that gives German "Malz."

Synonyms: brewery, malting, barley processing