Definition of BARLEY

barley

Plural: barleys

Noun

  • A hardy cereal grass widely used in brewing and for food.
  • a grain of barley
  • cultivated since prehistoric times; grown for forage and grain
  • A cereal of the species Hordeum vulgare, or its grains, often used as food or to make beer and other malted drinks.
  • The seed of Job's tears. (Coix lacryma-jobi)

Examples

  • Playing BARLEY was a wholesome, satisfying move that yielded a decent score.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English barly, barli, from Old English bærlīċ (“barley-like”, adjective) (later referring to barley itself and grain crops of similar appearance), from bere (“barley”) (compare Scots bere (“six-rowed barley”)), from Proto-Germanic *baraz (compare Old Norse barr), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰers- (“spike, prickle”). Equivalent to bere + -ly. See English brew.

Synonyms

barleycorn

Scrabble Score: 11

barley: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
barley: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
barley: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

barley: valid Words With Friends Word