malta
malta Lexical Profile
• noun
An island country in Southern Europe, consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea situated south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya.
"We traveled to Malta to explore its ancient stone temples and enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean climate."
A darkly colored, lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic malt beverage brewed from barley, hops, and water, widely popular in the Caribbean, Latin America, and parts of Africa.
"On a hot afternoon in Puerto Rico, she cooled down by drinking a cold malta with her lunch."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'Malta', the word refers to the Mediterranean island nation; when written in lowercase, 'malta' refers to a dark, non-alcoholic malt beverage.
• Rhymes for malta
Word Origin & Etymology
The name of the country is of uncertain origin, possibly deriving from the ancient Greek word 'meli' (honey) due to an endemic species of bee, or from the Phoenician 'Maleth' meaning 'a haven' or 'port'. The beverage name is derived from 'malt'.