: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum and especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns and three spikelets at each joint of the rachis
also
: its seed used especially in malt beverages, breakfast foods, and stock feeds
Examples of barley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Collins agreed that people should continue to eat brown rice for the health benefits — including fiber, magnesium and B vitamins — but should also eat quinoa, farro, buckwheat, barley and other grains.
—
Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Bruichladdich in Scotland began distilling whisky in the 2010s using only barley from Islay.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The following recipes straddle the line between side salad and side dish with hearty and filling ingredients like beans, pasta, nuts, bacon and barley.
—Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 8 Apr. 2025
Orzo is the Italian word for barley, which is deceiving, since orzo is not a grain.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barley
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Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Bruichladdich in Scotland began distilling whisky in the 2010s using only barley from Islay.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The following recipes straddle the line between side salad and side dish with hearty and filling ingredients like beans, pasta, nuts, bacon and barley.
—Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 8 Apr. 2025
Orzo is the Italian word for barley, which is deceiving, since orzo is not a grain.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barley
Cite this Entry
“Barley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barley. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barley
noun
bar·ley
ˈbär-lē 
: a cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes
also
: its seed used especially in malt beverages, in foods (as soups and cereals), or as feed for livestock
Medical Definition
barley
noun
bar·ley
ˈbär-lē
: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum, especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns
also
: its seed used in malt beverages and in breakfast foods and stock feeds
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