barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: 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

Examples of barley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The valley is rich with fields of wheat and barley, zucchini, tomatoes, and peas; groves of lemons, olives, and pomegranates; and thousands of beehives. —Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025

Bird Creek Distillery specializes in single malt American whiskeys, using unique barley strains like Baronesse, sourced from Joseph's Grainery in Colfax, Washington. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Instead, grains of pollen from the layers of clay above the peat reveal a sudden influx of plants from the grassy Poaceae family, which includes rice, wheat, and barley. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2025

Gluten is a combination of proteins often found in wheat, barley, and rye. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing barley

• barley-bree
• barley-broo
• barley sugar
• barley wine

Rhymes for barley

• charley
• charlie
• marly
• bizarrely

Kids Definition

barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: a cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes

also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, in foods (as soups and cereals), or as feed for livestock

Medical Definition

barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: 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