wheat

[ weet, hweet ]
See synonyms for wheat on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the grain of any cereal grass of the genus Triticum, especially T. aestivum, used in the form of flour for making bread, cakes, etc., and for other culinary and nutritional purposes.

  2. the plant itself.

Origin of wheat

1
before 900; Middle English whete,Old English hwǣte; cognate with German Weizen,Old Norse hveiti,Gothic hwaiteis; akin to white

Other words from wheat

  • wheat·less, adjective

Words Nearby wheat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wheat in a sentence

  • By the early 1960s, Mexico was growing six times more wheat than it did when Borlaug first arrived.

    Growth Stocks | The Daily Beast | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Borlaug and his associates set out to develop strains of wheat that could resist diseases and pests, and thus improve yields.

    Growth Stocks | The Daily Beast | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • After plane loads of wheat seeds were sent to India in the 1960s, farmers there were able to boost production by a factor of four.

    Growth Stocks | The Daily Beast | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He helped set up an institute in Mexico aimed at improving wheat and corn production.

    Growth Stocks | The Daily Beast | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • A blended scotch whisky is made by combining several single malts with wheat and/or corn whiskies in column stills.

  • In 1205 wheat was worth 12 pence per bushel, which was cheap, as there had been some years of famine previous thereto.

    Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham | Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
  • wheat gives place to Rye about the same time, and the Potato, at first comparatively rare, becomes universal.

    Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley
  • He had the land in Tripp County that was broken into winter wheat, while that in the next county east was rented.

    The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
  • For most of the way the country is flat and fertile, and in good part devoted to Grazing, though considerable wheat is grown.

    Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley
  • The country is undulating and beautiful, mainly devoted to Grass, wheat and Wood, and in the very highest condition.

    Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for wheat

wheat

/ (wiːt) /


noun
  1. any annual or biennial grass of the genus Triticum, native to the Mediterranean region and W Asia but widely cultivated, having erect flower spikes and light brown grains

  2. the grain of any of these grasses, used in making flour, pasta, etc

Origin of wheat

1
Old English hwǣte, related to Old Frisian, Old Saxon hwēti, Old High German hweizi, Old Norse hveiti; see white

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012