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

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 Word Forms

• noncereal adjective

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

It’s women who would be expected to give up pouring a child a bowl of cereal in favor of making bread from scratch.

From Salon

It means junk foods including pizza, chocolate, and cereal will have to be removed from shop entrances and the end of aisles, while sugary drink refills and some buy-one-get-one-free deals will also end.

From BBC

It also said "key staples such as cereals and pasta fell in price on the month".

From BBC

As a little kid, he’d ask his parents to read everything to him, including the backs of cereal boxes and the sides of Happy Meals.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of us are lucky if we find time to scoff down some cereal before work.

From BBC

Related Words

• bran 
• corn 
• grain 
• rice 
• wheat