cereal

American  

[seer-ee-uhl] / ˈsɪər i əl /

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.

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adjective

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

cereal British  

/ 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

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cereal Scientific  

/ sîr′ē-əl /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• noncereal adjective

Etymology

Origin of cereal

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

Example Sentences

In France alone, about 300,000 hectares of land once used for cereal farming has been left fallow or abandoned since 2022, he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Target declined to say whether cereal brands will adjust their formulas to accommodate Target's policy.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

He had not been to the grocery store for a few days and he and his friend were tired of going through boxes of old cereal.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

The cereal maker lowered its earnings and sales outlooks for the full year, citing weak consumer sentiment.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

With a happy sigh I open the box and pour a new bowl of cereal.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• rice
• wheat