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

For wheat farmers across the Great Plains, those late April to early May weeks are critical as winter wheat begins to mature before the summer harvest. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 May 2026

Fennel, cumin, coriander and black pepper perfume sistani, another round flatbread with barley mixed into the wheat flour for a nutty taste and pliant crumb. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026

Distract them with wheat grass, catnip or a lick mat. —Taneia Surles, USA Today, 9 May 2026

Thornton first learned of his rare blood type in the late ‘80s, which prompted him to eliminate wheat, dairy, red meat and more from his diet, according to Mashed. —Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 9 May 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