emmer

noun

em·​mer ˈe-mər How to pronounce emmer (audio)
: an ancient tetraploid wheat (Triticum dicoccum) that has spikelets with two hard red grains which remain in the glumes after threshing and that has been cultivated especially in southwest Asia, northeast Africa, and Europe
also : the grain of emmer

Note: The grain of emmer is also called farro.

Examples of emmer 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.
The researchers found that the leftovers contain barley and emmer grains, as well as seeds from a white goosefoot plant. — Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 In Anatolia, Turkey, kavilca wheat, a type of emmer that’s been grown since Neolithic times, is not only more nutritious than today’s bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) but, thanks to its tightfitting husks, is also resistant to Fusarium head blight, a devious fungus that is threatening wheat crops. — Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

German, from Old High German amari

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emmer was in 1881

Rhymes for emmer

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Browse Nearby Words

Emmentaler
emmer
emmet
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Cite this Entry

“Emmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emmer. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

emmer

noun
em·​mer ˈem-ər How to pronounce emmer (audio)
: an ancient wheat having spikelets with two hard red kernels
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