: an ancient tetraploid wheat (Triticum dicoccum) that has spikelets with two hard red grains which remain in the glumes after threshing and that has been cultivated especially in southwest Asia, northeast Africa, and Europe
Examples of emmer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If using whole grain emmer, crush the grains with a mortar and pestle or use a food processor to reduce them to the size of medium bulgur.
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Literary Hub,
4 Feb. 2026
Kavilca and other ancient varieties of emmer may also have genetic resistance to wheat blast, a new disease that is decimating crops from Brazil to Bangladesh.
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Washington Post,
11 Feb. 2022
Enthusiasm has cropped up for wheats produced locally without chemicals, and ancient varieties, such as einkorn, spelt and emmer.
—
WSJ,
15 May 2021
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Literary Hub,
4 Feb. 2026
Kavilca and other ancient varieties of emmer may also have genetic resistance to wheat blast, a new disease that is decimating crops from Brazil to Bangladesh.
—
Washington Post,
11 Feb. 2022
Enthusiasm has cropped up for wheats produced locally without chemicals, and ancient varieties, such as einkorn, spelt and emmer.
—
WSJ,
15 May 2021
Cite this Entry
“Emmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emmer. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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emmer
noun
em·mer
ˈem-ər 
: an ancient wheat having spikelets with two hard red kernels
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