barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum and especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns and three spikelets at each joint of the rachis
also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, breakfast foods, and stock feeds

Examples of barley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Include grains such as quinoa, barley, and millet in your meals. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024 Zinc in Whole Grains Whole grains like oats, brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, quinoa, and barley contain some zinc. Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024 Other sources of resistant starch include lentils, white beans, green bananas, oats, barley, as well as cooked and cooled rice. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024 Oats, barley, psyllium, beans, apples, and sweet potatoes contain soluble fiber. Anna Meyer, Cpt, Health, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for barley 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English barly, from Old English bærlic of barley; akin to Old English bere barley, Latin far spelt

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of barley was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near barley

Cite this Entry

“Barley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barley. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

barley

noun
bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes
also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, in foods (as soups and cereals), or as feed for livestock

Medical Definition

barley

noun
bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum, especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns
also : its seed used in malt beverages and in breakfast foods and stock feeds

More from Merriam-Webster on barley

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