: 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
Research studies also show that barley may help keep cholesterol levels in check.
—
Jennifer Moll, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Multigrain Multigrain bread is made from a combination of grains, including wheat, oats, and barley.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Soluble fiber can be found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans and some fruits and vegetables.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Throw them in your lunchtime salads or mix them with brown rice, spelt, barley and quinoa.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barley
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Jennifer Moll, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Multigrain Multigrain bread is made from a combination of grains, including wheat, oats, and barley.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 16 Sep. 2025
Soluble fiber can be found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seeds, beans and some fruits and vegetables.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Throw them in your lunchtime salads or mix them with brown rice, spelt, barley and quinoa.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 12 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 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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