oat

American  

[oht] / oʊt /

noun

• oats
  plural

1. a cereal grass, Avena sativa, cultivated for its edible seed.

2. (used with a singular or plural verb) Usually oats. the seed of this plant, used as a food for humans and animals.

3. any of several plants of the same genus, as the wild oat.

4. Archaic. a musical pipe made of an oat straw.

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idioms

1. sow one's wild oats. wild oat.

2. feel one's oats,

   1. to feel frisky or lively.

   2. to be aware of and use one's importance or power.

oat British  

/ əʊt /

noun

1. an erect annual grass, Avena sativa, grown in temperate regions for its edible seed

2. (usually plural) the seeds or fruits of this grass

3. any of various other grasses of the genus Avena, such as the wild oat

4. poetic a flute made from an oat straw

5. informal

   1. to feel exuberant

   2. to feel self-important

6. slang to have sexual intercourse

7. to indulge in adventure or promiscuity during youth

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• oatlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• oats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of oat

before 900; Middle English ote, Old English āte

Explanation

An oat is a cereal grain, the seed of a plant that grows like a tall grass in fields. Your dad might love to bake with oats. You're most likely to see the noun oat in its plural form — oats. Oats are grown for both animal feed and human consumption. If you ever eat oatmeal for breakfast, you know what an oat looks like, at least in its rolled, flake-like form. The Old English root is ate, "grain of the wild oat plant." The source of this word isn't known for sure, though it may come from the Old Norse eitill, "nodule" or "single grain."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oat oats

ML: In the early days, when we were introducing the idea of oat milk and also a voice around sustainability, it was very much out-of-home driven.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

I’ve made lovely versions with 2% milk, oat milk, almond milk, half-and-half and the random splash of buttermilk left lingering in the back of the fridge after a biscuit project.

From Salon ● May 25, 2026

The hottest job perk right now isn’t unlimited paid time off or oat milk in the office kitchen — it’s job security, period.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

"All primary learners are eligible for free school meals and local authorities/governing bodies have discretion to design menus which can include plain soya, plain rice or plain oat drinks," it added.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Edd cut three thick slices off a stale round of oat bread, stacked them on a wooden platter, covered them with bacon and bacon drippings, and filled a bowl with hard-cooked eggs.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

You can also add granola with oats and nuts that contribute healthy fats that slow glucose absorption.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026

He typically eats five or six balanced meals a day that include foods such as eggs, avocado, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oats, almond milk and fruit.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

I like to eat right away, and I eat the same two things every day: either yogurt with frozen berries, or there’s this overnight oats called Mush.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

The most common weedkiller in the world, Roundup is widely used to treat crops like oats and corn.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

I asked instinctively, though the familiar sand dunes and sea oats were a dead giveaway.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson