ENGLISH
REFERENCE

oats

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US //ˈoʊts// UK //ˈəʊts// oats

n. a type of grain used to make food like porridge or cereal. You often see them rolled into flat pieces for cooking.

n. the edible seeds of a cereal grass, typically processed by rolling or grinding for human consumption or used as livestock feed.


SIMPLE

I eat a bowl of oats with milk every morning.

CONTEXTUAL

The recipe calls for two cups of rolled oats to give the cookies a chewy texture.

COMPLEX

Agricultural yields for oats have remained steady, though their primary use has shifted from animal fodder to a staple of health-conscious human diets.

Synonyms
Usage

Usually plural when referring to the grain as food; uncountable when referring to the crop or the substance in general.

Idioms1 entry

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