or -bug, -horse, subs. (old).—A tippler; a LUSHINGTON (q.v.).

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  1551.  STILL, Gammer Gurton’s Needle, ii. [DODSLEY, Old Plays, ii. 21].

        Then dooth she trowle to mee the bowle,
  even as a MAULT WORME shuld.

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  1586.  W. HARRISON, The Description of England, p. 202. It is incredible to say how our MALT-BUGS lug at this liquor.

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  1591.  NASHE, A Wonderfull Strange and Miraculous Astrologicall Prognostication [GROSART (1883–4), ii. 147]. If violent death take not away such consuming MAULT WORMS.

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  1593.  SHAKESPEARE, Comedy of Errors, iii. 1. 32. MALT-HORSE Coxcomb, idiot!

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  1593.  The Life and Death of Jack Straw [DODSLEY, Old Plays, 1874, v. 403]. You shall purchase the prayers of all the ale-wives in town for saving a MALT-WORM and a customer to help away their strong ale.

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  1598.  SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., ii. 1. None of these mad, mustachio, purple-hued MALT-WORMS.

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  1889.  A. DOBSON, Poems on Several Occasions, II. 209. ‘The MALTWORM’S Madrigal’ [Title].

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