groat

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈgrōt 

1

usually plural in form but singular or plural in construction : hulled grain broken into fragments larger than grits

2

: a grain (as of oats) exclusive of the hull

groat

2 of 2

noun (2)

: an old British coin worth four pennies

Examples of groat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Oatmeal is typically made by processing oat groats through steaming, rolling or cutting, and the oats themselves are naturally gluten-free and do not contain gluten proteins. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026

Add the buckwheat groats and toast, shaking and tossing often and adjusting heat as needed, until crisp and light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026

These oats need a little less cooking time than whole oat groats. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 11 Feb. 2026

Made from the groats of different wheat species, especially durum wheat, a cup of dry cereal contains more than half the DV of fiber for adults. —Joy Emeh, Health, 9 Feb. 2026

Instant oatmeal: Steamed, rolled, cut, and transformed into breakfast in a jiffy, these pre-cooked oat groats carry a high glycemic load. —Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 18 Jan. 2026

Compared to steel-cut oats (Irish or Scottish), oats groats (whole grain seed with the husk removed) have been chopped or sliced into smaller pieces. —Karina Tolentino, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English grotes, going back to Old English grotan, masculine weak plural, presumably a variant of the neuter noun grot "particle, whit" (also glossing Latin pollis "finely ground flour"), probably going back to Germanic *gruta-, noun derivative of *greutan- "to grind, crush" — more at grit entry 1

Note: Old English grotan is corrected from the manuscript form gratan, which occurs only once. Forms in other Germanic languages directly comparable to *gruta- appear to be lacking.

Noun (2)

Middle English groot, from Middle Dutch

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for groat

• bloat
• boat
• choate
• coat
• cote
• dote
• float
• gloat
• goat
• haute
• moat
• mote

Kids Definition

groat

1 of 2 noun

ˈgrōt 

1

: hulled grain broken into fragments larger than grits

—usually used in plural

buckwheat groats

2

: a grain (as of oats) without the hull

groat

2 of 2 noun

: a formerly used British coin worth four pennies

Etymology

Noun

Old English grotan, plural of grot

Noun

Middle English groot "coin"; of Dutch origin