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: 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
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
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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
Phrases Containing barley
Articles Related to barley
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
: 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
: 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
Nglish: Translation of barley for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of barley for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barley
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