wheat
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a plant or its seeds used to make flour for bread and other foods.
n.the grain of a cereal grass used as a primary source of flour for baking and food production.
Simple“The farmer spent the whole week harvesting the wheat in the big field.”
In context“Global wheat prices fluctuated significantly following reports of a severe drought affecting the major growing regions in the Midwest.”
Usageuncountable when referring to the crop or the grain in bulk; countable when referring to specific botanical varieties.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a shorter way to say 'wheat bread' or 'whole wheat bread'.
n.an elliptical reference to bread made from wheat flour, specifically whole-wheat or brown bread in American English.
Simple“I would like a turkey sandwich on wheat, please.”
In context“The deli offers a choice of sourdough, rye, or wheat for all their signature sandwiches.”
Synonymswholemealbrown breadAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.having a light, yellowish-brown colour like ripe grain.
adj.denoting a pale, brownish-yellow colour resembling the hue of ripened wheat stalks.
Simple“She chose a wheat-coloured carpet to match the natural wood furniture.”
In context“The interior designer recommended a wheat palette for the upholstery to maintain a warm, organic atmosphere in the living area.”
Synonyms
“The prices of wheat flour and goat and sheep meat have also more than doubled in the last year.”
“So far, partners have provided food parcels and wheat flour to more than 600,000 people as part of the August cycle.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.