WordGarden.iowheat
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /wˈiːt/
US
- /ˈhwit/
Meanings
Noun
the grain of a cereal plant used to make flour, bread, and other foods
the cereal crop that produces this grain
Beyond the definition
This grain has fed people for thousands of years and is still one of the world's most important crops. When people talk about bread, flour, or fields of tall golden plants, this is often what they mean.
It comes in different kinds and is used to make bread, pasta, cakes, cereals, and many other foods. The grains can be ground into flour or cooked whole, so the word often appears in farming, cooking, and food labels such as "whole wheat."
Wheat is a cereal grain grown in many parts of the world and a basic food for millions of people. Its story goes back more than 10,000 years, to the time when people first began farming it in the Fertile Crescent. Since then, it has become a big part of daily life, from ancient farms to modern kitchens and factories.
The plant produces edible seeds, and those seeds are what people usually mean by "wheat." They are most often milled into flour for bread, pasta, noodles, pastries, crackers, and breakfast cereals. They can also be eaten in less processed forms, such as cracked wheat, bulgur, or whole wheat berries. Because different kinds have different amounts of protein and different baking qualities, some are better for bread while others are better for cakes, cookies, or pasta.
The word can refer to the crop in the field, the grain after harvest, or food made from it. It also appears in farming, trade, history, and nutrition. Phrases like "whole wheat" refer to flour that keeps all parts of the grain, while images of "golden wheat fields" are common in writing about the countryside. Overall, the word names one of the world's most important grains and one of the main sources of flour in everyday food.
Examples
- 1
Farming
The farmers planted wheat in the fall and harvested it in early summer.
- 2
Bread
A lot of the local bread is made with wheat flour.
- 3
Pasta choice
She usually buys whole-wheat pasta instead of white pasta.
- Phrasewhole-wheat
made with less processed wheat
- 4
Market prices
Wheat prices went up after months of dry weather.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Food allergy
He has to avoid foods that contain wheat because of his allergy.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- wheatnoun
Forms
- wheatspluralnoun