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 ( bower ¹, byre ) + *lagu law ¹; compare bylaw ( def. )

Example Sentences

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

From BBC

U.S. barley prices edged up on robust demand for Argentinian supplies, while the rice index rose 1.8% on firmer demand for fragrant varieties.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sweet and soft nut plays a large role in traditional mountain cooking and tradition because in places where you couldn’t grow wheat or barley, there were still chestnut trees.

From Salon

Starters can be made with wheat, rye, barley, teff, millet, or other grains, each supplying a distinct set of nutrients that microbes depend on to grow.

From Science Daily

Weekday fare featured potatoes, beans, barley and sturdy soups whose main ingredients included lentils and farfel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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