cereal

[seer-ee-uhl]

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.

adjective

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

cereal

/ 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

cereal

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.

Other Word Forms

• noncereal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereal¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereal¹

C19: from Latin cereālis concerning agriculture, of _Ceres ¹

Example Sentences

In 2023, Gabriel authored the California Food Safety Act, which prohibits several food additives — including red dye No. 3 — that are commonly found in soda, candy and cereal.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This included yogurt, milk, coffee, cereal and pasta.

Read more on BBC

It’s women who would be expected to give up pouring a child a bowl of cereal in favor of making bread from scratch.

Read more on Salon

It means junk foods including pizza, chocolate, and cereal will have to be removed from shop entrances and the end of aisles, while sugary drink refills and some buy-one-get-one-free deals will also end.

Read more on BBC

It also said "key staples such as cereals and pasta fell in price on the month".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bran 
• corn 
• grain 
• rice 
• wheat