cereal

1 of 2

adjective

ce·re·al ˈsir-ē-əl

: relating to grain or to the plants that produce it

also : made of grain

cereal

2 of 2

noun

: a plant (such as a grass) yielding starchy grain suitable for food

also : its grain

: a prepared foodstuff of grain (such as oatmeal or cornflakes)

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Cereal Has Roots in Roman Myth

The Roman goddess Ceres, the equivalent of the Greek Demeter, was a calm goddess who didn't take part in the quarrels of the other gods. Her particular responsibility was the food-giving plants, and for that reason the food grains came to carry her name. Cereals of the ancient Romans included wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and millet—but not corn (maize), which was a cereal of the Americas.

Examples of cereal in a Sentence

Noun Wheat and barley are common cereals. Some kinds of cereal have a lot of added sugar. Some cereals have a lot of added sugar.

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.

Adjective

Food was imported into the city and stored in large grain silos like the one at the Hittite capital of Hattusa, which could hold enough cereal grain to feed 20,000 people for a year. —

R. Alexander Bentley, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024 Rice Krispie Treats Cereal What’s better than a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal? —

Kara Nesvig, Parents, 10 Oct. 2024

Noun

For breakfast, Diddy was likely served breakfast items like cereal, fruit and a breakfast cake, according to the outlet. —

Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2024 There’s also a bunch of merch to cop like a DOOM action figure and a cereal bowl with a spoon like the one on the cover. —

Angel Diaz, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cereal

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French céréale, borrowed from Latin Ceriālis, Cereālis "of the goddess Ceres, of wheat or bread," from Cerer-, Cerēs ceres + -ālis -al entry 1

Note: The derivation of Ceriālis, Cereālis is unclear, as formation directly from the noun does not look possible. M. Leumann (Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, Munich, 1977, p. 180) suggests as the base an earlier *Cerrius, from *Cerzios, syncopated from a possessive adjective *Cerez-ios. A putative *Cerriālis would have been re-formed to Ceriālis, then Cereālis, after Cerēs.

Noun

derivative of cereal entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of cereal was in 1818

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Cereal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cereal. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

cereal

1 of 2 adjective

ce·re·al ˈsir-ē-əl

: relating to grain or to the plants that produce it

also : made of grain

cereal

2 of 2 noun

: a plant (as a grass) that produces starchy grain suitable for food

also : its grain

: a prepared food (as oatmeal or cornflakes) of grain

Etymology

Adjective

derived from Latin cerealis "of grain," literally, "of Ceres," from Ceres (name of Roman goddess of grain)

Medical Definition

cereal

1 of 2 adjective

ce·re·al ˈsir-ē-əl

: relating to grain or to the plants that produce it

also : made of grain

cereal

2 of 2 noun

: a plant (as a grass) yielding farinaceous grain suitable for food

also : its grain

: a prepared foodstuff of grain

Last Updated: 20 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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cereal

adjective

noun

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Examples of cereal in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near cereal

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Kids Definition

Medical Definition