barley

[ bahr-lee ]

/ ˈbɑr li /

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noun

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.

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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of barley

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

Words nearby barley

bark up the wrong tree, barky, Barlach, bar-le-duc, Barletta, barley, barley-bree, barley coal, barleycorn, barley sack, barley sandwich

Other definitions for barley (2 of 2)

barley²

[ bahr-lee ]

/ ˈbɑr li /

noun, plural bar·leys.Scot. and North England.

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

Origin of barley

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. bower¹, byre) + *lagulaw¹; compare bylaw

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use barley in a sentence

Below, you’ll find five of our favorite hearty grains — farro, freekeh, barley, quinoa and bulgur wheat — and our favorite ways to feature them, a few of which may be a delightful surprise.
5 hearty grains and how to use them in bowls, salads and even cake|Kari Sonde|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
Add the plant-based beef and cook uncovered until the barley is soft, about another five minutes.
How to Cook with Plant-Based Beef|Christine Byrne|January 16, 2021|Outside Online
This veggie-filled soup recipe puts a spin on classic beef and barley stew, with the addition of chili powder for a pretty serious kick.
How to Cook with Plant-Based Beef|Christine Byrne|January 16, 2021|Outside Online
The village’s market grew bigger, and residents began drinking beer made at commercial breweries instead of from the barley they grew.
How technology rewrites your diet|Amy Nordrum|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

I have to take care of my farmers, because if there’s no barley, there’s no beer.
‘No water, no beer, right?’ AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito on keeping a brewing giant focused on sustainability|matthewheimer|September 22, 2020|Fortune
The malted barley, yeast, and water are cooked, fermented, and distilled exactly the same.
How Much Do Whisky Casks Really Affect Taste?||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Scottish farmers had already been making whisky in the area for centuries with their surplus barley.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When you think of what it takes to make your favorite spirit, ingredients like grapes, barley, or herbs probably come to mind.
How Much Do Whisky Casks Really Affect Taste?||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More than half of the patrons at the bar are holding glasses full of Casa Bruja's malted barley red ale.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama|Jeff Campagna|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A single malt is made with malted barley in pot stills at a single distillery.
Don't Be a Single-Malt Scotch Snob|Kayleigh Kulp|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Little Rye was sown, but that little is very good; Barley is suffering from the stormy weather, but is quite thrifty.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
It is produced during the malting process, and is not found in the unmalted barley.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
And greenish among the stubble, upon a spear of blond barley, with a double row of seeds, I saw a prègo-diéu.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer
Ike Martin, the storekeeper, had onions already sprouted in his little garden-patch, and he had sown some barley.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson
And the means they employ to spirit up these creations are not dissimilar to those in use by Mr. Barley.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman

British Dictionary definitions for barley (1 of 2)

barley¹

/ (ˈbɑːlɪ) /

noun

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

the grain of any of these grasses, used in making beer and whisky and for soups, puddings, etcSee also pearl barley

Word Origin for barley

Old English bærlīc (adj); related to bere barley, Old Norse barr barley, Gothic barizeins of barley, Latin farīna flour

British Dictionary definitions for barley (2 of 2)

barley²

/ (ˈbɑːlɪ) /

sentence substitute

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

Word Origin for barley

C18: probably changed from parley

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

barley

Origin of barley

Words nearby barley

Other definitions for barley (2 of 2)

Origin of barley

Words related to barley

How to use barley in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barley (1 of 2)

Word Origin for barley

British Dictionary definitions for barley (2 of 2)

Word Origin for barley