: 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
Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are tender.
—
Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The protein, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, has been linked to inflammatory reactions in the body.
—Maria Berentzen, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
Bo & Luke is made with rye, barley and corn before being smoked with cherry wood and brewed in an imperial stout.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2024
Whole grain bread, oatmeal, barley and quinoa are all solid options for adding more whole grains to your diet, Galati says.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
These include beverages made from chicory root, figs and barley, dandelion root, mushroom elixirs, cacao, rooibos and yerba maté.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
And since 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has permitted the importing of oats, wheat, barley, and some animal products treated with chlormequat.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2024
Distillers and blenders preferred the heavier spirits produced by local barley.
—Mark Littler, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Their removal comes amid a thaw in China-Australia relations that’s seen Chinese authorities steadily roll back a number of those barriers including on barley, timber, and coal.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The protein, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, has been linked to inflammatory reactions in the body.
—Maria Berentzen, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
Bo & Luke is made with rye, barley and corn before being smoked with cherry wood and brewed in an imperial stout.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Mar. 2024
Whole grain bread, oatmeal, barley and quinoa are all solid options for adding more whole grains to your diet, Galati says.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
These include beverages made from chicory root, figs and barley, dandelion root, mushroom elixirs, cacao, rooibos and yerba maté.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
And since 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has permitted the importing of oats, wheat, barley, and some animal products treated with chlormequat.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2024
Distillers and blenders preferred the heavier spirits produced by local barley.
—Mark Littler, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Their removal comes amid a thaw in China-Australia relations that’s seen Chinese authorities steadily roll back a number of those barriers including on barley, timber, and coal.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barley.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Barley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barley. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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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