rye

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye

3

: rye bread

4

: rye whiskey

rye

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a male member of the Roma

Examples of rye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Cereals included emmer, wheat, barley, rye, and spelt, which were made into breads, soups, and porridges. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026

For afternoon tea or a proper meal, head to the restaurant Ochre which serves dishes like Devon crab linguine and Hereford rib-rye steak with views over Trafalgar Square. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Pinhook, a successful brand in its own right, is built upon Josephs’ skill in sourcing and blending bourbon and rye from different distilleries in Kentucky and Indiana, often releasing batches with increasingly older age-statement expressions. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2026

In Finland, there’s a traditional dish known as rössypottu, a stew made from pork and potatoes along with a rössy, a type of dumpling which consists of blood, beer, rye or barley flour and spices. — Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ryge; akin to Old High German rocko rye, Lithuanian rugys

Noun (2)

borrowed from Welsh Romani raj "lord, gentleman," going back to an Old Indo-Aryan cognate of Sanskrit rā́jan- "king" — more at royal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rye

• rye bread
• rye whiskey
• wild rye

Rhymes for rye

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī

1

: a hardy annual cereal grass widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

also : its seeds

2

: rye bread

3

: whiskey distilled from rye or from rye and malt

Medical Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye used for bread flour, whiskey manufacture, feed for farm animals (as poultry), and especially formerly in the roasted state as a coffee substitute

Geographical Definition

Rye

geographical name

ˈrī 

town in East Sussex, southeastern England