rye

1
[ rahy ]
/ raɪ /

noun Also called rye whiskey (for defs 4, 5).

a widely cultivated cereal grass, Secale cereale, having one-nerved glumes and two- or three-flowered spikelets.
the seeds or grain of this plant, used for making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock feed.
a straight whiskey distilled from a mash containing 51 percent or more rye grain.
Northeastern U.S. and Canada. a blended whiskey.

adjective

made with rye grain or flour: rye rolls.

Origin of rye

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English ryge; cognate with Old Norse rūgr; akin to Dutch rogge, German Roggen

Definition for rye (2 of 3)

rye 2
[ rahy ]
/ raɪ /

noun

a male Gypsy.

Origin of rye

2
First recorded in 1850–55, rye is from the Romany word rai

Definition for rye (3 of 3)

Rye
[ rahy ]
/ raɪ /

noun

a city in SE New York, on Long Island Sound.

Example sentences from the Web for rye

British Dictionary definitions for rye (1 of 3)

rye 1
/ (raɪ) /

noun

a tall hardy widely cultivated annual grass, Secale cereale, having soft bluish-green leaves, bristly flower spikes, and light brown grain See also wild rye
the grain of this grass, used in making flour and whiskey, and as a livestock food
Also called: rye whiskey whiskey distilled from rye. US whiskey must by law contain not less than 51 per cent rye
US short for rye bread

Word Origin for rye

Old English ryge; related to Old Norse rugr, Old French rogga, Old Saxon roggo

British Dictionary definitions for rye (2 of 3)

rye 2
/ (raɪ) /

noun

dialect a gentleman

Word Origin for rye

from Romany rai, from Sanskrit rājan king; see rajah

British Dictionary definitions for rye (3 of 3)

Rye
/ (raɪ) /

noun

a resort in SE England, in East Sussex: one of the Cinque Ports. Pop: 4195 (2001)