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wheat

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈhwit// UK //wˈiːt// wheat General-service

n. a type of grass that people grow for its seeds. These seeds are ground into flour to make bread, pasta, and many other foods.

n. a cereal grain of the genus Triticum, widely cultivated for its edible seeds. It serves as a primary global food source and is the principal ingredient in most flours used for baking.


SIMPLE

The farmer harvests the wheat in late summer.

CONTEXTUAL

Vast fields of golden wheat stretch across the plains, waiting for the harvest season to begin.

COMPLEX

Global trade in wheat remains a critical component of food security, as fluctuations in crop yields can lead to significant price volatility in the international commodities market.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English whete, from Old English hwǣte, from Proto-West Germanic hwaitī, from Proto-Germanic hwaitijaz (compare West Frisian weet, Dutch weit, Low German Weten, German Weizen, Danish hvede, Swedish vete, Norwegian Nynorsk kveite, Icelandic hveiti), from *hwītaz (“white”). More at white.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the crop or the grain in bulk; countable only when referring to specific botanical varieties or species.

Idioms2 entries

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