maltworm en · NOUN
Etymology
From malt + worm.
Meanings
-
(archaic) A tippler; a drinker of alcohol.
The fiend hath prick'd down Bardolph irrecoverable; and his face is Lucifer's privy-kitchen, where he doth nothing but roast malt-worms.
c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:[…] beg my pardon, in which you ſhall not onely ſaue a proper hanſome tall fellow and a ſtout Captaine, but alſo you ſhall purchaſe the prayers of all the ale wiues in the towne, for ſauing a mault-worme and a cuſtomer to helpe away their ſtrong ale.
1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act III:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| maltworms | Number=Plur | lexicographic |