# elt

> English word · Verb · frequency rank #60,789

## Definitions
1. To injure (anything) by rough handling; handle roughly.
2. To begrime; soil with mud; daub; smear.
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.

## Etymology
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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/elt