rye
1 Americannoun
-
a widely cultivated cereal grass, Secale cereale, having one-nerved glumes and two- or three-flowered spikelets.
-
the seeds or grain of this plant, used for making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock feed.
-
a straight whiskey distilled from a mash containing 51 percent or more rye grain.
-
Northeastern U.S. and Canada. a blended whiskey.
adjective
noun
noun
noun
-
a tall hardy widely cultivated annual grass, Secale cereale , having soft bluish-green leaves, bristly flower spikes, and light brown grain See also wild rye
-
the grain of this grass, used in making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock food
-
Also called: rye whiskey. whiskey distilled from rye. US whiskey must by law contain not less than 51 per cent rye
-
short for rye bread
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of rye1
before 900; Middle English; Old English ryge; cognate with Old Norse rūgr; akin to Dutch rogge, German Roggen
Origin of rye2
First recorded in 1850–55; from Romani rai “man, gentleman,” ultimately from Sanskrit rājan “king”; rajah ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
From BBC
In a normal world, Dad would be ordering a double pastrami on rye while I got the ham and cheese with no tomato, no onion, and no lettuce.
From Literature
![]()
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
It comes with rye bread, sliced Emmental cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing and Raye’s Cranberry Mustard.
Snacking on 8-10 prunes a day and some rye bread can also have a similar effect.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.