noun
rye
RYE/raɪ/
A cereal grass cultivated for its grain.
Ripe ears of rye rest beside a small pile of kernels.
Etymology
Old English ryge already named the cereal. The grain’s name later also came to mean bread or whiskey made from it, connecting the crop with its familiar products.
In context
much more frugal bread remained the staple food the hay making and harvesting periods were the most significant feasting period of the year for peasants cereals such as wheat or rye were grown to make bread
More examples
- The farmer plants rye in the fall.
- This bread gets its rich flavor from rye flour.
- The distillery uses rye grain to make whiskey.
Forms
rye · ryes
Similar words
- wheat
- Another cereal crop, more commonly used for white bread.
- barley
- A different cereal crop whose grain is commonly malted.