Barley

/ˈbɑːrli/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 question

Definitions

1

A cereal grain with grains that are used in making beer, whisky, and food.

/ˈbɑːrli/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A cereal grain used for food and animal feed.

The field was full of ripening barley.

💡 Simply: A type of grain used to make food and drinks.

More Examples

2

Barley is a staple crop in many regions.

How It's Used

Agriculture

"The farmer harvested a bountiful crop of barley this year."

Food Industry

"Barley is used in the production of beer and malt."

From Old English *bärlic, from Proto-Germanic *barlija-. Cognates exist in other Germanic languages.

Barley has been a staple crop for thousands of years, with evidence of its cultivation dating back to the Neolithic period.

Memory tip

Think of 'barley' as a grain that's 'barley' good for making drinks and food.

Word Origin

LanguageProto-Germanic
Original meaning

"grain"

barley fieldbarley maltpearl barley

Common misspellings

barlybarlei

Usage

20%Spoken
80%Written