rye

Meaning

Noun

• A grain used extensively in Europe for making bread, beer, and (now generally) for animal fodder.
• The grass Secale cereale from which the grain is obtained.
• Rye bread.
• Rye whiskey.
• A drink of rye.
• Caraway
• Ryegrass, any of the species of Lolium.
• A disease of hawks.

Origin

• From Middle English rie, reighe, from Old English ryġe, from Proto-West Germanic *rugi, from Proto-Germanic *rugiz, from Proto-Indo-European *Hrugʰís.
• Germanic cognates include Dutch and West Frisian rogge, Low German Rogg, German Roggen, Old Norse rugr (Danish rug, Swedish råg); non-Germanic cognates include Russian рожь and Latvian rudzi.