wheat

IPA/wiːt/
KK[wˈit]IPA/wiːt/

wheat — noun

1. a tall grass plant grown on farms for its small brown seeds, which are crushed i

1.nounB1
Definition

a tall grass plant grown on farms for its small brown seeds, which are crushed into flour and used to make bread, pasta, cakes, and other foods

Example

Farmers in Kansas grow wheat and sell it to mills all over the country.

grow + wheat (cultivation)

Kemi ground the wheat into flour to make fresh bread for her family.

grind wheat into flour

Common collocations
  • wheat flour
  • wheat crop
  • wheat harvest
  • wheat field
  • wheat allergy
Synonyms
  • grain

    more general term for any cereal seed

  • cereal

    refers to the grass family or breakfast food made from grains

Usage Note

Wheat is usually an uncountable noun. To talk about individual plants, say 'wheat plant' or 'wheat crop'. To count types, use 'varieties of wheat' or 'types of wheat'.

Common Mistakes

She bought three wheats from the farmer.
She bought three sacks of wheat from the farmer.
Wheat is uncountable; use a unit like 'sack of', 'bag of', or 'tonne of' to specify quantity.
This cracker is made from wheat, but I think it contains barley too.' (ambiguous)
This cracker contains wheat and barley.
Use 'contains' when listing ingredients; 'made from' refers to the main ingredient.

2. a light yellow colour, similar to the pale brownish-yellow skin of a wheat seed

2.nounB2
Definition

a light yellow colour, similar to the pale brownish-yellow skin of a wheat seed

Example

The living room walls were painted a soft wheat colour that felt warm and inviting.

wheat colour (paint shade)

Nila wore a wheat-coloured scarf with her dark coat to add a touch of lightness.

wheat-coloured (compound adjective)

Common collocations
  • wheat-coloured
  • wheat yellow
  • soft wheat
Synonyms
  • pale yellow

    descriptive phrase, less specific to the warm tone of wheat

  • beige

    more greyish or brownish than wheat colour

Usage Note

Wheat used as a colour typically appears in compound forms such as 'wheat-coloured' or 'wheat yellow'. It describes a soft, warm pale yellow rather than a bright or vivid one.

Common Mistakes

She painted the room wheat.
She painted the room wheat-coloured.' or 'She painted the room a soft wheat colour.
Colour names used as modifiers typically need a compound form or an article.
Idioms

sort out/separate the wheat from the chaff

idiom

To identify which people or things are good or useful and which are not.

The manager sorted the wheat from the chaff among the job applicants.

Can you separate the wheat from the chaff in this pile of old books?

Word family

  • wheaten
    adjectiveC1
  • whole wheat
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Wheat, barley, oat, rye, and corn are all cereal grains, but each has distinct uses. Wheat is the most common grain for bread flour because its high gluten content gives dough elasticity and a light texture. Barley has a nuttier flavour and is often used in soups, beer brewing, and animal feed. Oats are typically rolled or ground into porridge and have a softer, creamier texture than wheat. Rye produces a darker, denser bread with a slightly sour flavour, common in Eastern European baking. Corn (called maize in many countries outside North America) is sweeter and used for tortillas, polenta, and breakfast cereals. For example, you would use wheat flour for a standard loaf of bread, rye flour for a German pumpernickel, and cornmeal for Mexican tortillas. Knowing these differences helps you choose the right grain for a recipe.

barley ↗oatrye ↗corn ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • wheat flour
  • wheat field
  • wheat harvest
  • wheat crop
  • wheat allergy
  • wheat straw

Phrases

  • field of wheat
  • wheat harvest season
  • whole wheat bread
  • separate the wheat from the chaff

Prepositions

  • from wheat
  • with wheat
  • of wheat

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'wheat' comes from Old English 'hwǣte', which traces back to a Germanic root meaning 'white'. This makes sense because wheat grains and the flour made from them are lighter in colour than many other grains. The same root appears in Dutch 'weit' and German 'Weizen', and it is related to the word 'white' itself.