elt

Abbreviation of element.

Noun

  1. Abbreviation of element.

Origin

Shortening.

Forms

elts

Verb

  1. To injure (anything) by rough handling; handle roughly.
    • Du's eltin dat creature to death, boy!?
  2. To begrime; soil with mud; daub; smear.
    • Whin shü cam oot an fann me dere Wi peenie fairlins eltit.
    • Mi böts ir a' eltit wi' glaar.
    • He was elt(er)ed wi' gutters fae head to foot.

    Synonyms: befoul soil stain assoil beclart bedaub bedirty imbrue (especially with blood) bedizen befile befilth begrime beray beshit besmear besmirch besully bewray blacken blot blur clat contaminate darken

  3. To work persistently or laboriously; be occupied in working (e.g. in the earth, rake among dirt, etc.).
  4. To meddle; interfere.
  5. To knead dough; stir dough previously kneaded to a proper consistency before baking.
  6. To become soft; become moist, as damp earth.

Origin

From Middle English elten (“to mold, knead, work”), from Old Norse elta (“to chase, hunt, knead”), from Proto-Germanic *alatjaną (“to drive, force, move”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elh₂- (“to drive, move, go”). Cognate with Danish ælte (“to knead”), Swedish älta (“to dwell upon, brood, stir, knead”), Norwegian elte (“to knead”), Norwegian elta (“to pursue, plod”), Icelandic elta (“to chase”).

Forms

elts elting elted