milt

Etymology

From Middle English milte, from Old English milte, milt (“milt, spleen”), from Proto-Germanic *meltǭ (“spleen”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- (“to beat, grind, crush, weaken”). Cognate with German Milz, Dutch milt, Danish milt, Norwegian milt, Swedish mjälte. Outside Germanic, with Albanian mëlçi (“liver”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪlt/
• Rhymes: -ɪlt

Noun

milt (plural milts)

1. The spleen, especially of an animal bred for food.
   • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes, […], printed at London: […] Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
     , II.12:

     we see that certaine apprehensions engender a blushing-red colour, others a palenesse; that some imagination doth only worke in the milt, another in the braine […].

   • 1983, Robert Nye, The Facts of Life:

     Adam Kadmon had pneumonia. Friar Goat cured it by tying a bullock’s milt to the soles of the lad’s feet, and burying the milt afterwards. Adam Kadmon immediately contracted the thrush.

2. Fish semen.

Verb

milt (third-person singular simple present milts, present participle milting, simple past and past participle milted)

1. (transitive) To impregnate (the roe of a fish) with milt.

Etymology

From Old Norse milti.

Noun

milt c (singular definite milten, plural indefinite milte)

1. spleen

References

• “milt” in Den Danske Ordbog

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

milt f (plural milten, diminutive miltje n)

1. spleen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪl̥t/
• Rhymes: -ɪl̥t

Etymology 1

From Old Norse milti, Proto-Germanic *miltiją, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- (“to beat, grind, crush, weaken”).

Etymology 2

From the adjective mildur.

Adjective

milt

1. inflection of mildur:
   1. neuter nominative singular
   2. neuter accusative singular

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪl̥t/
• Rhymes: -ɪl̥t

Adjective

milt

1. strong neuter singular nominative of mildur

Etymology

From Old Norse milti.

Noun

milt m (definite singular milten, indefinite plural milter, definite plural miltene)

1. spleen (organ)

References

• “milt” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Alternative forms

• milte

Etymology

From Old Norse milti.

Noun

milt m, n (definite singular milten or miltet, indefinite plural miltar or milt, definite plural miltane or milta)

1. spleen (organ)

References

• “milt” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Adjective

milt

1. absolute indefinite neuter form of mild.

Adverb

milt (comparative mildare, superlative mildast)

1. gently, mildly; blandly