cereal

[ seer-ee-uhl ]

noun

1. any plant of the grass family yielding an edible grain, as wheat, rye, oats, rice, or corn.
2. the grain itself.
3. some edible preparation of it, especially a breakfast food.

adjective

1. of or relating to grain or the plants producing it.

cereal

/ ˈsɪərɪəl /

noun

1. any grass that produces an edible grain, such as oat, rye, wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, and millet
2. the grain produced by such a plant
3. any food made from this grain, esp breakfast food
4. modifier of or relating to any of these plants or their products

   cereal farming

cereal

/ sîr′ē-əl /

1. A grass, such as corn, rice, sorghum, or wheat, whose starchy grains are used as food. Cereals are annual plants, and cereal crops must be reseeded for each growing season. Cereal grasses were domesticated during the Neolithic Period and formed the basis of early agriculture.

Other Words From

• non·cere·al adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereal¹

1590–1600; < Latin Cereālis of, pertaining to Ceres; -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereal¹

C19: from Latin cereālis concerning agriculture, of Ceres ¹

Example Sentences

“My favourite was Japanese curries, or Russian cereal and soups,” she says.

From BBC

Her parents told her no: They had already prepared a meal for the family, and besides, cereal was for breakfast.

From Los Angeles Times

On a rainy November night Lindsay Rimer walked the short route from her home to a local shop to buy breakfast cereal.

From BBC

When she left the house, her dad was on the phone so Lindsay called at the nearby Trades Club where her mum was meeting friends and got some money from her so she could buy the cereal.

From BBC

Nestle says it recommends one serving of infant cereal each day along with a diverse diet of foods, like fruits, vegetables, and meat daily.

From BBC

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• rice
• wheat