: 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
Look for whole grains like wheat, oats, or barley as the first ingredient.
—
Sarah Garone, Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Grains: Bourbon is made primarily from corn, rye whiskey from rye grain, and Scotch from malted barley.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Your Super even outlines where each one is sourced from—wheatgrass and barley grass are sourced in the U.S.A., while moringa is from India, baobab from Ghana, spirulina from Chile, and chlorella from Portugal.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2025
Its original Green Superfood powder blends vegetables, fruits, and greens with digestive enzymes and probiotics like wheatgrass, barley, alfalfa, açaí, and spirulina to increase energy levels, promote detoxification, and boost the immune system.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 23 Jan. 2025
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Sarah Garone, Health, 23 Jan. 2025
Grains: Bourbon is made primarily from corn, rye whiskey from rye grain, and Scotch from malted barley.
—Emily Price, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Your Super even outlines where each one is sourced from—wheatgrass and barley grass are sourced in the U.S.A., while moringa is from India, baobab from Ghana, spirulina from Chile, and chlorella from Portugal.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2025
Its original Green Superfood powder blends vegetables, fruits, and greens with digestive enzymes and probiotics like wheatgrass, barley, alfalfa, açaí, and spirulina to increase energy levels, promote detoxification, and boost the immune system.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for barley
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Cite this Entry
“Barley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barley. Accessed 8 Feb. 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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