rye

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye

3

: rye bread

4

: rye whiskey

rye

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a male member of the Roma

Examples of rye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Today, Wilken grows 4,000 acres of grain, rye, corn and soybeans in central Illinois with his son — without the use of synthetic chemicals like Roundup. —Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

Jack Daniel’s rye is filtered through about three feet of charcoal, compared to around 10 feet for the Tennessee whiskey. —David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026

The result is something entirely different from American rye, with spice and fruit notes that evoke the flavors of Nordic rye bread, a great example of how another whisky culture can interpret this historic category. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026

While Coy Hill features single-barrel expressions, this new rye includes two batches from the Coy Hill barrelhouse and three from the Boiler Hill and Fire Brigade sites, creating a more layered and deliberate flavor profile. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ryge; akin to Old High German rocko rye, Lithuanian rugys

Noun (2)

borrowed from Welsh Romani raj "lord, gentleman," going back to an Old Indo-Aryan cognate of Sanskrit rā́jan- "king" — more at royal entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rye

• rye bread
• rye whiskey
• wild rye

Rhymes for rye

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī

1

: a hardy annual cereal grass widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

also : its seeds

2

: rye bread

3

: whiskey distilled from rye or from rye and malt

Medical Definition

rye

noun

ˈrī 

1

: a hardy annual grass (Secale cereale) that is widely grown for grain and as a cover crop

2

: the seeds of rye used for bread flour, whiskey manufacture, feed for farm animals (as poultry), and especially formerly in the roasted state as a coffee substitute

Geographical Definition

Rye

geographical name

ˈrī 

town in East Sussex, southeastern England population 4800