barley

¹ American  

[bahr-lee] / ˈbɑr li /

noun

1. a widely distributed cereal plant belonging to the genus Hordeum, of the grass family, having awned flowers that grow in tightly bunched spikes, with three small additional spikes at each node.

2. the grain of this plant, used as food and in making beer, ale, and whiskey.

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barley ² American  

[bahr-lee] / ˈbɑr li /

noun

Scot. and North England.

plural

barleys

1. a truce or quarter, especially in children's games; parley.

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barley ¹ British  

/ ˈbɑːlɪ /

noun

1. any of various erect annual temperate grasses of the genus Hordeum , esp H. vulgare , that have short leaves and dense bristly flower spikes and are widely cultivated for grain and forage

2. the grain of any of these grasses, used in making beer and whisky and for soups, puddings, etc See also pearl barley

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barley ² British  

/ ˈbɑːlɪ /

1. dialect a cry for truce or respite from the rules of a game

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Etymology

Origin of barley¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bærlīc (adj.), equivalent to bær- (variant of bere barley; akin to Old Norse barr barley, Gothic barizeins made of barley, Serbo-Croatian brȁšno flour, Latin far emmer; all < European Indo-European *bHaer- spike, prickle, perhaps akin to beard ) + -līc -ly

Origin of barley²

1805–15; probably to be identified with Scots barley, burley, birlie local customary law (Compare birleyman arbiter, birleycourt neighborhood court), variant of birlaw, Medieval Latin birlawe, birelegia, birelag < Old Norse *býjarlagu, equivalent to býjar, genitive singular of býr town ( cf. bower ¹, byre) + *lagu law ¹; compare bylaw ( def. )

Explanation

Barley is a grain that's related to the grass family and is used in many foods and drinks. Barley is used all over the world and is most commonly found in breads, breakfast cereals, soups, and stews. Barley is the fourth largest crop grown in the world. It's used to feed grazing livestock, eaten as a whole grain, milled into flour for baking, and dried to make malt, an ingredient in both beer and whisky. The Old English root of barley is bærlic, most likely from a Proto-Indo-European source that means "bristle, point, or projection."

Example Sentences

The same day as the accident, Mr Barley was sent a council tax bill for an instalment of £101.71.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

Harvard is the first university to be served a subpoena by the Education and the Workforce Committee since it was established in 1867, according to Nick Barley, a committee spokesman.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2024

Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate.

From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2023

There are now winter barley programs at nearly every state in the country, said Ashley McFarland, the vice president and technical director of the American Malting Barley Association.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 11, 2023

“So this army of hers, where you’re taking me in exchange for wheat—” “Or barley,” Barley offered.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• corn
• fodder
• forage
• grain
• hay
• meal