Main Entry:

wheat

Pronunciation:

\ˈhwēt, ˈwēt\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

Middle English whete, from Old English hwǣte; akin to Old High German weizzi wheat, hwīz, wīz white — more at white

Date:

before 12th century

1 : a cereal grain that yields a fine white flour used chiefly in breads, baked goods (as cakes and crackers), and pastas (as macaroni or spaghetti), and is important in animal feeds 2 : any of various Old World annual grasses (genus Triticum, especially T. aestivum and T. turgidum) of wide climatic adaptability that are cultivated in most temperate areas for the wheat they yield 3 : a light yellow