rye

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye

3

: rye bread

4

: rye whiskey

rye

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a male member of the Roma

Examples of rye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That note mingles with flavors of dark chocolate, caramel, roasted espresso, baking spice, black pepper, and molasses, and the whiskey’s inherent sweetness is nicely tempered by the spice from the high percentage of rye in the recipe. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 June 2025

Grains like amaranth, bran, buckwheat, bulgar, pumpernickel, rye, whole grains, whole spelt, whole wheat, steel cut oatmeal, brown and wild rice, buckwheat, and quinoa. —Mara Santilli, SELF, 27 June 2025

Bread Gluten is found in wheat flour, barley, and rye, the main ingredients in nearly all types of bread. —Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 12 June 2025

Without using wheat, rye, barley, couscous, bulgur, and other crossbreeds of those grains, gluten-free pasta can be made from brown rice, white rice, corn, legumes, quinoa, edamame, lentils, or beans. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ryge; akin to Old High German rocko rye, Lithuanian rugys

Noun (2)

borrowed from Welsh Romani raj "lord, gentleman," going back to an Old Indo-Aryan cognate of Sanskrit rā́jan- "king" — more at royal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rye

• rye bread
• rye whiskey
• wild rye

Rhymes for rye

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī

1

: a hardy annual cereal grass widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

also : its seeds

2

: rye bread

3

: whiskey distilled from rye or from rye and malt

Medical Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye used for bread flour, whiskey manufacture, feed for farm animals (as poultry), and especially formerly in the roasted state as a coffee substitute

Geographical Definition

Rye

geographical name

ˈrī 

town in East Sussex, southeastern England population 4800