rye

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop
2
: the seeds of rye
3
4

rye

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a male member of the Roma

Examples of rye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Five-spice powder and rye flour add warmth and nuttiness to the classic moist pumpkin bread texture. Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024 The gift store offers unique single-barrel and small-batch rye and bourbon whiskeys. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, soy, red meat, and sesame. Daniel More, Health, 24 Oct. 2024 Former restaurant critic Jonathan Gold was partial to a simple hot pastrami on rye. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rye 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rye.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ryge; akin to Old High German rocko rye, Lithuanian rugys

Noun (2)

borrowed from Welsh Romani raj "lord, gentleman," going back to an Old Indo-Aryan cognate of Sanskrit rā́jan- "king" — more at royal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rye was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rye

Cite this Entry

“Rye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rye. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rye

noun
ˈrī
1
: a hardy annual cereal grass widely grown for grain and as a cover crop
also : its seeds
2
3
: whiskey distilled from rye or from rye and malt

Medical Definition

rye

noun
1
: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop
2
: the seeds of rye used for bread flour, whiskey manufacture, feed for farm animals (as poultry), and especially formerly in the roasted state as a coffee substitute

Geographical Definition

Rye

geographical name

town in East Sussex, southeastern England population 4800

More from Merriam-Webster on rye

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