wheat

American  

[weet, hweet] / wit, ʰwit /

noun

1. the grain of any cereal grass of the genus Triticum, especially T. aestivum, used in the form of flour for making bread, cakes, etc., and for other culinary and nutritional purposes.

2. the plant itself.

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wheat British  

/ wiːt /

noun

1. any annual or biennial grass of the genus Triticum, native to the Mediterranean region and W Asia but widely cultivated, having erect flower spikes and light brown grains

2. the grain of any of these grasses, used in making flour, pasta, etc

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Other Word Forms

• wheatless adjective

Etymology

Origin of wheat

before 900; Middle English whete, Old English hwǣte; cognate with German Weizen, Old Norse hveiti, Gothic hwaiteis; akin to white

Explanation

Wheat is the grain most commonly used in things like bread, pasta, and cake. When wheat is ground, it becomes flour you can use for baking. Who wants cupcakes? A field of wheat looks like tall, green grasses — the wheat turns golden-colored when it's ready to be harvested. More farmland is planted with wheat than any other crop, as it's a major worldwide source of carbohydrates. Some people are sensitive or allergic to the gluten in wheat, but most of us can safely eat and enjoy the many foods made from wheat. The Germanic source means "that which is white," from a root meaning "to shine."

Example Sentences

On Friday, just two ships passed through the narrow waterway, which has seen traffic collapse, throttling shipments of everything from wheat and rice to oil and gas.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Earlier mills were better suited for wheat than corn, which was a staple in Pennsylvania and other mid-Atlantic colonies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Compared to wild wheat, early domesticated varieties were far better at competing for resources in crowded fields.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

Producing less corn and wheat reduces not only food available for humans but also food for livestock.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

By treating wheat strains with such “shock therapy,” Lysenko argued that he could make the plants flower more vigorously in the spring and yield higher bounties of grain through the summer.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• cereal
• grass