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cereal

adjective
ce·​re·​al | \ ˈsir-ē-əl How to pronounce cereal (audio) \

Definition of cereal

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: relating to grain or to the plants that produce it also : made of grain

cereal

noun

Definition of cereal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a plant (such as a grass) yielding starchy grain suitable for food also : its grain
2 : a prepared foodstuff of grain (such as oatmeal or cornflakes)
Cereal Has Roots in Roman Myth Example Sentences Learn More about cereal

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Cereal Has Roots in Roman Myth

The Roman goddess Ceres, the equivalent of the Greek Demeter, was a calm goddess who didn't take part in the quarrels of the other gods. Her particular responsibility was the food-giving plants, and for that reason the food grains came to carry her name. Cereals of the ancient Romans included wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and millet—but not corn (maize), which was a cereal of the Americas.

Examples of cereal in a Sentence

Noun

 Wheat and barley are common cereals. Some kinds of cereal have a lot of added sugar. Some cereals have a lot of added sugar.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 Specialty varieties include Key lime pie, cereal crunch, vegan chocolate peanut butter and spectacular s’mores. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "New Nitrogen Ice Cream Shop Opens," 5 Aug. 2019 Cereal grains like oatmeal, whole fruits, and beans are all good sources of soluble fiber. — Dr. Manny Alvarez, Fox News, "Could this be the next great weight loss secret?," 23 May 2017 Cereal growers must meet stringent quality criteria according to the end-use of their crop: for pasta production durum wheat must have a protein content of 14%. — National Geographic, "Pasta Potential: Why the World Needs Better Wheat," 24 Feb. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 The protein-rich bites, traditional to ancient India, have the shape and consistency of Kix cereal and a slightly sweet earthiness. — Liza Zwirn, BostonGlobe.com, "At the Fancy Food Show, vegan and vegetarian foods dominate," 5 Aug. 2019 Customers also can build their own ice cream or milk shake ($5.95) with a vanilla base and choice of dozens of cookies, candy, cereal and sweet drizzles. — Georgann Yara, azcentral, "Put these 10 frozen desserts on your Phoenix summer bucket list," 26 July 2019 Food staples, like cereal and ramen, and toiletries like toothpaste and toilet paper, are also included. — Anna Bahney, CNN, "This bunk bed is $1,200 a month, privacy not included," 5 July 2019 Beginning this fall, about 1 million people in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Mo., and Vero Beach, Fla., will be able to get cereal and celery while away from home. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, "Walmart wants to put groceries in your refrigerator while you’re out," 7 June 2019 But nearly 80% of cereals and pureed desserts contained added sugar. — Karen Hofman, Quartz Africa, "Scientists are worried about the sugar levels of baby food in South Africa," 31 May 2019 Eating a lot of foods high on the glycemic index like white cereal and pasta forces the pancreas to work hard to produce extra insulin, which may exacerbate insulin resistance. — Mary Claire Lagroue, SELF, "Can Diet and Exercise Actually Improve PCOS Symptoms?," 23 Apr. 2019 Make mornings a breeze: To keep things a little less hectic during the morning rush, have a few quick n’ easy breakfasts on hand that your child can make themselves, like cereal. — Tamekia Reece, Good Housekeeping, "The Ultimate Back-to-School Checklist," 29 July 2019 Kellogg's is releasing new Baby Shark cereal as a Walmart and Sam's Club exclusive! — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, "'Baby Shark' Cereal to Be Launched by Kellogg's," 27 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cereal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of cereal

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for cereal

Adjective

borrowed from French & Latin; French céréale, borrowed from Latin Ceriālis, Cereālis "of the goddess Ceres, of wheat or bread," from Cerer-, Cerēs ceres + -ālis -al entry 1

Note: The derivation of Ceriālis, Cereālis is unclear, as formation directly from the noun does not look possible. M. Leumann (Lateinische Laut- und Formenlehre, Munich, 1977, p. 180) suggests as the base an earlier *Cerrius, from *Cerzios, syncopated from a possessive adjective *Cerez-ios. A putative *Cerriālis would have been re-formed to Ceriālis, then Cereālis, after Cerēs.

Noun

derivative of cereal entry 1

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More Definitions for cereal

cereal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cereal

: a plant (such as a grass) that produces grain that can be eaten
: a breakfast food made from grain

See the full definition for cereal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cereal

noun
ce·​re·​al | \ ˈsir-ē-əl How to pronounce cereal (audio) \

Kids Definition of cereal

1 : a plant (as a grass) that produces grain for food
2 : a food prepared from grain breakfast cereals

cereal

adjective
ce·​re·​al | \ ˈsir-ē-əl How to pronounce cereal (audio) \

Medical Definition of cereal

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: relating to grain or to the plants that produce it also : made of grain

cereal

noun

Medical Definition of cereal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a plant (as a grass) yielding farinaceous grain suitable for food also : its grain
2 : a prepared foodstuff of grain

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