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

Quinoa, barley, and couscous have lower levels of arsenic and heavy metals. —Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 26 Apr. 2026

Dishes are refined and satisfying—a Friday lunch in February included an avocado quinoa salad with paper-thin radishes and chimichurri, roasted scallops with barley risotto and a chilly glass of the house brut champagne. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026

This lentil-barley salad, while packed with fiber and protein, is actually downright delicious. —Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026

It’s made from a mashbill of 95 percent corn and five percent Irish malted barley in County Cork on a continuous Coffey still (a type of column still), and then aged in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 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