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• whole wheat
  whole wheat

  noun

  Usually whole wheat the complete kernel of wheat, including all of the germ and bran.
• whole-wheat
  whole-wheat

  adjective

  (of flour, bread, etc) made from the entire wheat kernel

whole wheat

American  

[hohl weet, hweet] / ˈhoʊl ˈwit, ˈʰwit /

Rarely wholewheat or whole-wheat

noun

1. Usually whole wheat the complete kernel of wheat, including all of the germ and bran.

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adjective

1. prepared using the complete wheat kernel.

whole-wheat British  

adjective

1. Also called (esp in Britain and certain other countries): wholemeal.  (of flour, bread, etc) made from the entire wheat kernel

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Etymology

Origin of whole wheat

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whole wheat whole-wheat

Adding a slice of a fiber-rich whole wheat bread won’t kill you.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026

Each starter began with one of three substrates: all-purpose flour, bread flour or whole wheat flour.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 21, 2026

She began to cut out ultra-processed foods, instead opting for fresh fruit and vegetables, whole wheat pastas and oats.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026

For bread enthusiasts, stock up on yeast, bread flour and possibly some rye or whole wheat flour for variety.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2025

She found fresh whole wheat pasta and cooked it with turkey sausage and broccoli rabe.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Ms. Jensen’s whole-wheat dough has added honey and olive oil for softness and to offset the flour’s slight bitterness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Every day, his mother — who cleaned houses and taught piano and guitar — packed him a peanut-butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread for lunch, “which sucks when you’re a kid.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

The streusel — made from a flour mixture of oats, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt — is sprinkled on top before baking.

From Salon ● May 23, 2025

In front of Reilly is an — admittedly — sad-looking spinach omelet, a singular slice of whole-wheat toast on the side.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2023

He thought about a huge, fuzzy, juicy caterpillar, placed right in the center of a piece of whole-wheat bread, maybe with a little mustard dabbed on him.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry