barley

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

barley coal

2 of 2

noun (2)

variants or less commonly barley

: anthracite coal of a small size : number 3 buckwheat coal

Examples of barley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Straw is the agricultural byproduct of harvesting cereal grains such as barley, wheat and rice. —Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 13 June 2026

Every kernel of corn, rye, wheat, and barley that goes into a Frey Ranch whiskey is grown on the ranch, the barley malted on-site, milled, mashed, distilled, aged, and bottled within the same property. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Whole grains like oats, barley, farro and whole wheat bread offer a steady fiber boost at every meal. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026

From there, experimenting with one new ingredient per week — farro, barley, artichokes — makes the transition feel manageable rather than overwhelming. —Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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