often attributive
1
: a cereal grain that yields a fine white flour used chiefly in breads, baked goods (such as cakes and crackers), and pastas (such as macaroni or spaghetti), and is important in animal feeds
2
: any of various Old World annual grasses (genus Triticum, especially T. aestivum and T. turgidum) of wide climatic adaptability that are cultivated in most temperate areas for the wheat they yield
3
: a light yellow

Examples of wheat in a Sentence

a turkey sandwich on wheat
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some companies will use other proteins, such as wheat gluten, legumes – lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans – and proteins from seed oils. Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2024 Whole wheat bread and pasta, which retain more fiber and nutrients than their refined wheat counterparts. Ana Morales, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2024 While elephant grass and waste from sugarcane might be used in South America, wheat straw and maize could be used in parts of the U.S., and leftover paddy straw from rice fields in India. Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Sugar Foods tortilla strips On Nov. 22, Sugar Food recalled 3.5-ounce pouches of Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips Santa Fe Style due to potential wheat contamination. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wheat 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English whete, going back to Old English hwǣte, going back to Germanic *hwaitja- (whence also Old Frisian wēt "wheat," Old Saxon hwēti, Middle Dutch weit, weite, Old High German hweizi, weizi, Old Icelandic hveiti, Gothic ƕaiteis "cereal grain"), collective derivative from the stem of *hwīta- white entry 1; probably so called from the light color of the ripe ears or the flour made from it

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wheat was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wheat

Cite this Entry

“Wheat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheat. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wheat

noun
ˈhwēt How to pronounce wheat (audio)
ˈwēt
1
: a cereal grain that can be made into a fine white flour used mostly in breads, baked goods (as cakes and crackers), and pastas (as macaroni or spaghetti) and that is used in animal feeds
2
: any of a genus of grasses grown in most temperate areas for the wheat they produce
especially : a grass with long dense flower spikes and white to dark red grains that is the chief source of wheat and is known only in cultivation

More from Merriam-Webster on wheat

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