barley

¹

[ bahr-lee ]

noun

1. a widely distributed cereal plant belonging to the genus Hordeum, of the grass family, having awned flowers that grow in tightly bunched spikes, with three small additional spikes at each node.
2. the grain of this plant, used as food and in making beer, ale, and whiskey.

barley

²

[ bahr-lee ]

noun

, Scot. and North England.

, plural bar·leys.

1. a truce or quarter, especially in children's games; parley.

barley

¹

/ ˈbɑːlɪ /

sentence substitute

1. dialect.
   a cry for truce or respite from the rules of a game

barley

²

/ ˈbɑːlɪ /

noun

1. any of various erect annual temperate grasses of the genus Hordeum , esp H. vulgare , that have short leaves and dense bristly flower spikes and are widely cultivated for grain and forage
2. the grain of any of these grasses, used in making beer and whisky and for soups, puddings, etc See also pearl barley

Word History and Origins

Origin of barley¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bærlīc (adj.), equivalent to bær- (variant of bere barley; akin to Old Norse barr barley, Gothic barizeins made of barley, Serbo-Croatian brȁšno flour, Latin far emmer; all < European Indo-European *bHaer- spike, prickle, perhaps akin to beard ) + -līc -ly

Origin of barley²

1805–15; probably to be identified with Scots barley, burley, birlie local customary law (Compare birleyman arbiter, birleycourt neighborhood court), variant of birlaw, Medieval Latin birlawe, birelegia, birelag < Old Norse *býjarlagu, equivalent to býjar, genitive singular of býr town ( bower ¹, byre ) + *lagu law ¹; compare bylaw ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of barley¹

C18: probably changed from parley

Origin of barley²

Old English bærlīc (adj); related to bere barley, Old Norse barr barley, Gothic barizeins of barley, Latin farīna flour

Example Sentences

Roasted and ground lupin, chickpea, malted barley, and chicory are amongst the major ingredients the company works with, along with an undisclosed natural flavouring.

From BBC

Roasted and ground lupin, chickpea, malted barley, and chicory are amongst the major ingredients the company works with, along with an undisclosed natural flavouring.

From BBC

Bags of rice and barley from past quality inspections act as paperweights for stacks of files and manuals.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, the U.S. could meet its current protein demand by growing fewer crops overall, and ensuring that more of the commodity crops we already produce — such as soy, grain, corn, barley, oats, and sorghum — are grown for human consumption.

From Salon

Scan the menu for wholegrain options such as brown rice, wholemeal pizza or pasta, barley, quinoa or wholemeal burger buns.

From Salon

Related Words

• corn
• fodder
• forage
• grain
• hay
• meal