Added 9 October 2026
barley
/ˈbɑɹli/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about barley at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A grain of barley.
- Cultivated since prehistoric times; grown for forage and grain.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)