barley

noun bar·ley \ ˈbär-lē \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of barley

: 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

See barley defined for English-language learners

See barley defined for kids

Recent Examples of barley from the Web

Bien Cuit, another Brooklyn bakery, has created a chocolate, barley and dulce de leche poundcake with a streusel made of Rise flour.

— larissa zimberoff, New York Times, "From Brewery to Bakery: A Flour That Fights Waste," 25 June 2018
One is ale yeast, which at relatively high temperatures ferments extracts made from malted barley and other grains, and is commonly used in baking.

— mike cherney, WSJ, "The Newest Thing in Beer: Ancient Yeast," 20 May 2018
The farm already had planted barley and hops last year.

— michael walsh, Courant Community, "Maple View Farm Receives Town Approval For Farm Brewery," 10 Apr. 2018
Serve it with crusty bread, flatbread, or a simply prepared whole grain such as barley or farro.

— adam ried, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Give breakfast Middle Eastern flair with green shakshuka," 6 Apr. 2018
In two weeks, this thin barley broth, called wort, will ferment into beer, be transferred to kegs, and poured from the taps on the other side of the cinder block wall.

— lara korte, WSJ, "New York Sees Boom in Craft Breweries, With More on Tap," 12 July 2018
The barley plant has similar characteristics to human growth factors.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "A Celebrity Dermatologist’s Science-Based Skin-Care Routine," 12 July 2018
Farro, rice or barley would be suitable substitutions.

— anna thomas bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "On a hot day, this quinoa salad can cool you down - without overheating your kitchen," 11 July 2018
The celebratory suds are made with hops grown at Hallowed Hops Farm in Lewistown, saison yeast cultured at Omega Yeast Labs in Chicago and grains familiar to Illinois farmers — corn, wheat, oats and barley.

— lori rackl, chicagotribune.com, "Bicentennial bucket list: 20 essential Illinois drinks," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barley.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of barley

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

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

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BARLEY Defined for English Language Learners

barley

noun

Definition of barley for English Language Learners

: a kind of grain used for food and to make beer and whiskey; also : the plant on which this grain grows

BARLEY Defined for Kids

barley

noun bar·ley \ ˈbär-lē \

Definition of barley for Students

: a cereal grass grown for its grain which is used mostly to feed farm animals or make malt

Medical Dictionary

barley

noun bar·ley \ ˈbär-lē \

medical Definition of barley

: 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