Main Entry: bar·ley

Pronunciation: \ˈbär-lē\

Function: noun

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

Date: before 12th century

: 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