elt

• Rhymes: -ɛlt

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”).

elt (third-person singular simple present elts, present participle elting, simple past and past participle elted)

1. (transitive, UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To injure (anything) by rough handling; handle roughly.

   Du's eltin dat creature to death, boy!?

   Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Dictionary of the Scot Language

2. (transitive, UK dialectal, Northern England, Scotland) To begrime; soil with mud; daub; smear.

   Whin shü cam oot an fann me dere Wi peenie fairlins eltit.

   Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 22, Dictionary of the Scot Language

   Mi böts ir a' eltit wi' glaar.

   Sh.11 1950, Dictionary of the Scot Language

   He was elt(er)ed wi' gutters fae head to foot.

   Cai.3 1950, Dictionary of the Scot Language

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

Shortening.

elt (plural elts)

1. (mathematics, computing) Abbreviation of element.

• -let, ETL, LTE, TEL, TLE, Tel., let, tel

elt

1. imperative of elte