millet

¹ American  

[mil-it] / ˈmɪl ɪt /

noun

1. a cereal grass, Setaria italica, extensively cultivated in the East and in southern Europe for its small seed, or grain, used as food for humans and fowls, but in the U.S. grown chiefly for fodder.

2. any of various related or similar grasses cultivated as grain plants or forage plants.

3. the grain of any of these grasses.

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Millet ² American  

[mi-ley, mee-le] / mɪˈleɪ, miˈlɛ /

noun

1. Francis Davis, 1846–1912, U.S. painter, illustrator, and journalist.

2. Jean François 1814–75, French painter.

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millet ¹ British  

/ ˈmɪlɪt /

noun

1. a cereal grass, Setaria italica, cultivated for grain and animal fodder

2. 1. an East Indian annual grass, Panicum miliaceum, cultivated for grain and forage, having pale round shiny seeds

   2. the seed of this plant

3. any of various similar or related grasses, such as pearl millet and Indian millet

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Millet ² British  

/ milɛ /

noun

1. Jean François (ʒɑ̃ frɑ̃swa). 1814–75, French painter of the Barbizon school, noted for his studies of peasants at work

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Etymology

Origin of millet

1375–1425; late Middle English milet < Middle French, equivalent to mil (< Latin milium millet) + -et -et

Explanation

Millet is a grain-like food that grows in grassy stalks and is a staple in both Asia and Africa. People on gluten-free diets aren't bothered by millet, which is technically a seed rather than a true grain. Pass the millet, please! Even in dry, hot conditions, millet grows easily and quickly, which has made it an important food in countries like India and Nigeria. Some East Asian countries brew beer using millet, and the Indian flatbread roti is commonly made with millet flour. Russia and Germany share a traditional millet-based food, a breakfast porridge.

Example Sentences

In the experiment, 100 farmers each grew two millet plots each -- one treated with nitrogen fertilizer and one left untreated for comparison.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2026

Sometimes it is possible to find sorghum or millet but on the day of filming, the kitchen manager says: "There is no flour or bread."

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

Or she’s clutching an "ibende" - a long wooden stick that over the years she has used to pound millet or cassava or maize.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024

If you need gluten-free: Whisk to blend 1 cup gluten-free, 1::1 baking blend and 1 cup whole GF flour of choice, like sorghum or millet flour.

From Salon • May 23, 2024

For example, millet cultivation, bronze technology, and writing arose in North China, while rice cultivation and cast-iron technology emerged in South China.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond