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

Residents can donate tinned goods, cereals, pasta, rice, snacks and tea and coffee.

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This wheat innovation builds on the group's previous success in rice, and similar work is underway to expand the technique to other major cereal crops.

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When Gibby called at eleven forty-five, Michael was making a list of things he needed to add to the stash, like cereal, powdered milk, and two pocketknives.

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Parents can have a breakfast butty, along with hot drinks and cereal.

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Everything on Earth, from your breakfast cereal, to your dog, to your cell phone, is made of some combination of elements.

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Related Words

• bran 
• corn 
• grain 
• rice 
• wheat