millet

noun

mil·​let ˈmi-lət How to pronounce millet (audio)
1
: any of various small-seeded annual cereal and forage grasses:
a
: a Eurasian grass (Panicum miliaceum) cultivated for its grain which is used for food
b
: any of several grasses related to common millet
2
: the seed of a millet

Examples of millet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s packed with seeds that birds can’t resist—including safflower, nyjer, sunflower, red millet, and peanuts—and it’s designed to attract a variety of birds including cardinals, jays, finches, nuthatches, grosbeaks, chickadees and more. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023 Eating more millet is not only good for the planet, but also good for you. Maria Speck, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2023 Is mighty millet on its way to become the new quinoa? Maria Speck, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2023 Indeed, most of them are still grown only there: few Americans have ever tasted Ethiopia's finger millet beer, its oily noog, its narcotic chat, or its national bread, which is made from a tiny-seeded cereal called teff. Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 The best bird seed mixes contain a mixture of peanuts, millet, black oil sunflower seeds, and striped sunflower seeds. Kristen (kj) Callihan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2023 The pop-rock tune—performed by a Grammy Award winning singer with a section featuring Modi speaking about the prosperity and radiance of millet—extols the virtues of an ancient grain that has been cultivated in Asia and Africa for thousands of years. Rajesh Roy, WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023 Even humble millet — India is the world’s largest producer — has found itself in the spotlight. Suhasini Raj, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023 The Humane Society recommends safflower seed for attracting cardinals, chickadees and titmice; nyjer thistle for goldfinches; and white proso millet for mourning doves and house finches. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 30 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'millet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English milet, from Middle French, from Old French, diminutive of mil, from Latin milium; akin to Greek melinē millet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of millet was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near millet

Cite this Entry

“Millet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millet. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

millet

noun
mil·​let ˈmil-ət How to pronounce millet (audio)
1
: a grass cultivated for its small shiny whitish seeds used as human and bird food and sometimes grown for hay
2
: the seed of a millet

Biographical Definition

Millet

biographical name

Mil·​let mē-ˈyā How to pronounce Millet (audio)
mi-ˈlā
Jean-François 1814–1875 French painter

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