rye

¹ American  

[rahy] / raɪ /

noun

1. a widely cultivated cereal grass, Secale cereale, having one-nerved glumes and two- or three-flowered spikelets.

2. the seeds or grain of this plant, used for making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock feed.

3. rye bread.

4. a straight whiskey distilled from a mash containing 51 percent or more rye grain.

5. Northeastern U.S. and Canada.  a blended whiskey.

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adjective

1. made with rye grain or flour.

   rye rolls.

rye ² American  

[rahy] / raɪ /

noun

1. a male Romani; Rom.

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Rye ³ American  

[rahy] / raɪ /

noun

1. a city in SE New York, on Long Island Sound.

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rye ¹ British  

/ raɪ /

noun

1. a tall hardy widely cultivated annual grass, Secale cereale , having soft bluish-green leaves, bristly flower spikes, and light brown grain See also wild rye

2. the grain of this grass, used in making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock food

3. Also called: rye whiskey.  whiskey distilled from rye. US whiskey must by law contain not less than 51 per cent rye

4. short for rye bread

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Rye ² British  

/ raɪ /

noun

1. a resort in SE England, in East Sussex: one of the Cinque Ports. Pop: 4195 (2001)

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rye ³ British  

/ raɪ /

noun

1. dialect  a gentleman

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Etymology

Origin of rye¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English ryge; cognate with Old Norse rūgr; akin to Dutch rogge, German Roggen

Origin of rye²

First recorded in 1850–55; from Romani rai “man, gentleman,” ultimately from Sanskrit rājan “king”; rajah ( def. )

Example Sentences

It comes with rye bread, sliced Emmental cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing and Raye’s Cranberry Mustard.

From The Wall Street Journal

Snacking on 8-10 prunes a day and some rye bread can also have a similar effect.

From BBC

It was a newly installed hybrid field of rye and synthetic grass that could endure the wear and tear of 300-pound combatants.

From Los Angeles Times

The rye plant senses the world around it with more than 14 million roots and root hairs, a network that one plant neurobiologist described as a type of brain.

From Salon

Meanwhile, Scandinavians are known for rye bread and foraging, though the communal dining and variety in their diets are largely overlooked.

From Salon

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• rice
• wheat