cereal

American  

[seer-ee-uhl] / ˈsɪər i əl /

noun

1. any plant of the grass family yielding an edible grain, as wheat, rye, oats, rice, or corn.

2. the grain itself.

3. some edible preparation of it, especially a breakfast food.

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adjective

1. of or relating to grain or the plants producing it.

cereal British  

/ ˈsɪərɪəl /

noun

1. any grass that produces an edible grain, such as oat, rye, wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, and millet

2. the grain produced by such a plant

3. any food made from this grain, esp breakfast food

4. (modifier) of or relating to any of these plants or their products

   cereal farming

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cereal Scientific  

/ sîr′ē-əl /

1. A grass, such as corn, rice, sorghum, or wheat, whose starchy grains are used as food. Cereals are annual plants, and cereal crops must be reseeded for each growing season. Cereal grasses were domesticated during the Neolithic Period and formed the basis of early agriculture.

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Other Word Forms

• noncereal adjective

Etymology

Origin of cereal

1590–1600; < Latin Cereālis of, pertaining to Ceres; -al ¹

Example Sentences

Residents can donate tinned goods, cereals, pasta, rice, snacks and tea and coffee.

From BBC

This wheat innovation builds on the group's previous success in rice, and similar work is underway to expand the technique to other major cereal crops.

From Science Daily

Parents can have a breakfast butty, along with hot drinks and cereal.

From BBC

They also focused on the five food categories most commonly promoted to children: confectionery, sugar-sweetened beverages, ready meals, breakfast cereals, and baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and pastries.

From Science Daily

Global cereal production is projected to rise by 4.4 percent this year, with output increases expected across all major cereals, the FAO said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• rice
• wheat