barleycorn

noun

bar·​ley·​corn ˈbär-lē-ˌkȯrn 

1

: a grain of barley

2

: an old unit of length equal to a third of an inch

Examples of barleycorn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The new hue is designed to evolve beautifully with changing light, further accentuating the watchmaker’s signature grain d’orge (barleycorn) motif. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for barleycorn

• peppercorn
• unicorn
• waterborne
• winterbourne
• adorn
• airborne
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn

Kids Definition

barleycorn

noun

bar·​ley·​corn -ˌkȯ(ə)rn 

: a grain of barley