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

In exchange, Europeans brought to America cattle, chickens, honey bees, bananas, rice, barley, garlic, oats, rye, and sugarcane. —John Mariani, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Farmers in Morocco relied heavily on drought-tolerant barley, which can germinate with limited moisture and mature before peak summer heat. —Stephen Acabado, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026

Add the oil to the barley along with the lemon zest and juice; toss. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026

My leek and barley soup was simple and perfect, served with bread from the baker in the next village and delicious Shetland butter. —Sarah Moss, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026

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