barley

noun bar·ley \ ˈbär-lē \

Updated on: 19 Apr 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

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See barley defined for kids

Recent Examples of barley from the Web

Harvest time for essential cereal crops such as wheat and barley took place in the spring.

— amanda foreman, WSJ, "When Blossoms and Bullets Go Together: The Battles of Springtime," 6 Apr. 2018
Cook, covered, until barley is tender, about 1 hour.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Leftover Easter ham recipes: Soup, salad, stir fry, ham loaf," 28 Mar. 2018
Its popularity has risen over the years, with some brewers considering hops as essential as water or barley in the brewing process.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Scientists Brew a Hoppy Beer Without the Hops," 21 Mar. 2018
There’s grain whiskey, made with cereal grains, including no more than 30 percent malted barley, using a column still.

— anne brockhoff, kansascity, "For St. Patrick's Day this year, pass the Irish whiskey, 'a really hot commodity' | The Kansas City Star," 12 Mar. 2018
Roasted barley produces chocolate and coffee flavors with a lasting vanilla finish.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Get to know Goodwood Brewing, a craft brewery in Louisville," 4 Mar. 2018
Carrots are allowed up to 5 ppm, barley as much as 30 ppm and certain grains 100 ppm, according to government standards.

— Bloomberg.com, "Top Weedkiller Found in Some ‘Natural’ Bigelow Tea, Lawsuit Says," 20 Dec. 2017
The star of their portfolio, this pure malt (read: 100% malted barley) blends various stocks of Scottish-origin whisky, all aged for a minimum of 18 years, with Japanese-distilled whisky, and ages the whole thing on Japan’s west coast.

— dan q. dao, GQ, "Japanese Whisky: A Guide for the Thirsty and Curious," 2 Apr. 2018
The fertile land, which underwent many changes in ownership and composition, has hosted immigrants, homesteaders and squatters; fed cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and turkeys; and been used to grow fruit and nut orchards, and wheat and barley.

— russell yip; story by tony bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, "Sonoma Valley dreaming: pastoral spring fashion," 22 Mar. 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