: 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
The fungus causes disease in barley, wheat, rice, and maize and is responsible for billions of dollars of economic losses around the world, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
—
Filip Timotija, The Hill, 4 June 2025
Unlike many Highland distilleries, Loch Lomond employs a unique malting process that combines peat and clean air to dry the barley.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
It can be used as a sauce for grain bowls featuring brown rice, spelt, oats, or barley; over legumes such as chickpeas, peas, and beans; and on roasted or steamed vegetables such as fennel, sweet potatoes, or squash.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 31 May 2025
The list of foods that inherently contain resistant starch and actually hold onto some of it when cooked is pretty small—basically, whole grains like oats and barley and legumes like lentils, peas, and beans.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for barley
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Filip Timotija, The Hill, 4 June 2025
Unlike many Highland distilleries, Loch Lomond employs a unique malting process that combines peat and clean air to dry the barley.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
It can be used as a sauce for grain bowls featuring brown rice, spelt, oats, or barley; over legumes such as chickpeas, peas, and beans; and on roasted or steamed vegetables such as fennel, sweet potatoes, or squash.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 31 May 2025
The list of foods that inherently contain resistant starch and actually hold onto some of it when cooked is pretty small—basically, whole grains like oats and barley and legumes like lentils, peas, and beans.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 May 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 10 Jun. 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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