Wort (?), n. [OE. worte, wurte, AS. wyrte; akin to OD. wort, G. würze,
bierwürze, 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.
Worth (?), v. i. [OE. worthen, wurþen, to become, AS. weorðan; akin to
OS. werðan, D. worden, G. werden, OHG. werdan, Icel. verða, Sw. varda,
Goth. waírpan, L. vertere to turn, Skr. vr.t, v. i., to turn, to roll,
to become. √143. Cf. Verse, -ward, Weird.] To be; to become; to betide;
— now used only in the phrases, woe worth the day, woe worth the man,
etc., in which the verb is in the imperative, and the nouns day, man,
etc., are in the dative. Woe be to the day, woe be to the man, etc.,
are equivalent phrases.