pearl barley

American  

noun

1. barley milled into small, round grains, used in cooking, especially in soups.

---

pearl barley British  

noun

1. barley ground into small round grains, used in cooking, esp in soups and stews

---

Etymology

Origin of pearl barley

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Scotch beef ramen, with pickled root vegetables, had 3.0 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, while pearl barley and root vegetable hotpot with marinated cabbage came in at 0.1 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.

From New York Times

A Polish take on risotto made with pearl barley.

From Washington Post

Other grains, such as pearl barley and quinoa, also work well in this autumnal salad – lentils do, too.

From The Guardian

And when a bowl of traditional dessert soup arrived, thick and brown with mung beans and pearl barley, sweetened with rock sugar, I slurped.

From The New Yorker

In a food processor or blender, pulse the pearl barley just until grains are reduced in size by a quarter to a half.

From The Wall Street Journal