Etymology Dictionary

OAST, OAST-HOUSE,  a kiln for drying hops.  (E.)   Spelt oast or east in Ray's Collection of South-Country Words, ed. 1691.   [The form east is from Du. eest.]   M. E. ost, oste; for examples, see Pegge's Kenticisms (E. D. S.), s.v. oast.—A. S. ást, a kiln.   'Siccatorium [i.e. a drying-house], cyln, vel ást;'  Wright's Vocab. i. 58, col. I.   Thus the word is purely E., the change from á to oa being quite regular; cf. A. S. ác, an oak, ár, an oar. + Du. eest; O. Du. ast; ‘een ast, a place where barley is dryed to make malt with;'  Hexham.   β. Allied to A. S. ád, a funeral pile (Leo), M. H. G. eit, a fire, oven; just as Lat. æstus, glow, is related to Lat. ædes, a hearth, house.   Cf. Gk. αἶθος, a burning heat.—✔IDH, to kindle; see Ether.