rye
/ɹaɪ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.52 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A grain used extensively in Europe for making bread, beer, and (now generally) for animal fodder.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Ellipsis of rye whiskey, whiskey made mainly or wholly from rye grain.
Canadian usage; American usage; Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "They bought a sack of rye and a sack of wheat with the intent to try their hand at milling and baking."
- "Sing a ſong of ſixpence, a bag full of rye."
- "This field will be planted to rye next spring."
- "Customer: A tuna sandwich, please. Waiter: Sure, hon. You want that on white, wheat, or rye?"
- "He likes any whiskey, but his favorite is rye."
- "“Gimme a shot of rye.” The whiskey stung his throat hot and fragrant."
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English rye, rie, from Old English ryġe, from Proto-West Germanic *rugi, from Proto-Germanic *rugiz. Germanic cognates include Dutch and West Frisian rogge, Low German Rogg, German Roggen, Rocken, Old Norse rugr (Danish rug, Swedish råg); non-Germanic cognates include Russian рожь (rožʹ) and Latvian rudzi.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: rye, ryġe, *rugi, *rugiz, -, rjóðr
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Canadian usage
- American usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in People.