wild rye

noun

: any of several tall grasses (genus Elymus)

Examples of wild rye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To encourage only native plants to grow, Paul and her team dug pits into the eucalyptus mulch down to the soil layer and planted species grown in the reserve’s native nursery, including California goldenrod and creeping wild rye. Alix Soliman, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2024 Bartell says the drawdown will threaten his field of shoulder-high wild rye that taps into the groundwater and sustains his cattle through the late summer and fall. Daniel Moore, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2022 Broomstraw, wild rye, fescue, no longer wait for my feet and four wheels. WSJ, 3 June 2022 Both are types of wild rye (‘Arlington’ and ‘Elkton’). oregonlive, 17 Oct. 2021 The black-eyed Susans were in bloom, for example, mixed in with Canada wild rye and fox sedge and other native plants. Jennifer Bjorhus, Star Tribune, 3 July 2021 Morning fog through the wild rye beyond the train tracks. Ocean Vuong, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021 For the ambitious, the eight-mile trek up Long Canyon Road with views of the east or the 10-mile route to the top of Harmon Canyon Road involve steep, rocky trails lined with sage, giant wild rye and, in the spring, fields of wildflowers. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2021 Residue found on artifacts such as grinding stones and hammer stones used to prepare food suggest that people on the site consumed maize, legumes, and barley/wild rye. Kevin Riordan, Philly.com, 21 Mar. 2018

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wild rye was circa 1500

Dictionary Entries Near wild rye

Cite this Entry

“Wild rye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wild%20rye. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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