wheat

noun

ˈ(h)wēt 

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

Bar Americano, located on the lawn between the Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art, sells several types of alcoholic beverages, including an IPA, wheat, lager, sour and cider. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

But this new release from the Bay Area’s Redwood Empire distillery brings together bourbon, rye, single malt, and wheat whiskey made from a blend of 10 different mashbills, something that is truly unique in the whiskey world. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026

In an aerial view, farmers use combine harvesters to harvest a wheat field near the city of Bila Tserkva on August 4, 2023 in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

However, some tamari products still have small amounts of wheat, so always check for a gluten-free label. — Merve Ceylan, HEALTH, 21 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing wheat

• durum wheat
• hard wheat
• red wheat
• separate the wheat from the chaff
• shredded wheat
• soft wheat
• wheat berry
• wheat bread
• wheat cake
• wheat germ
• wheat rust
• whole wheat

Rhymes for wheat

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• greet

Kids Definition

wheat

noun

ˈhwēt 

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