barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum and especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns and three spikelets at each joint of the rachis
also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, breakfast foods, and stock feeds

Examples of barley in a Sentence

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.
Swap out rice for barley in recipes like jambalaya and risotto. Kathi Valeii Published, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2025 Pale chocolate malt, roasted barley, flaked oat, milk sugar, and Fuggle hops all come together to create this ultra-smooth, just slightly sweet triumph of a beer. Erik Ofgang, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025 But unseen, in underground pipelines that cut through vast fields of barley, flows about $5 billion annually worth of Canadian crude oil and natural gas, most of it from Alberta. Sally Ho, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025 That meant building massive sets on four backlots, constructing magical trains and planting fields of barley and tulips. Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for barley

Word History

Etymology

Middle English barly, from Old English bærlic of barley; akin to Old English bere barley, Latin far spelt

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barley. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

barley

noun
bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes
also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, in foods (as soups and cereals), or as feed for livestock

Medical Definition

barley

noun
bar·​ley ˈbär-lē How to pronounce barley (audio)
: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum, especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns
also : its seed used in malt beverages and in breakfast foods and stock feeds

More from Merriam-Webster on barley

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