WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Rye
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OE. rie, reie, AS. ryge; akin to Icel. rugr, Sw. r?g, Dan. rug, D. rogge, OHG. rocco, roggo, G. rocken, roggen, Lith. rugei, Russ. roje, and perh. To Gr. 'o`ryza rice. Cf. Rice.]
Definition : 1. (Bot.)

Defn: A grain yielded by a hardy cereal grass (Secale cereale), closely allied to wheat; also, the plant itself. Rye constitutes a large portion of the breadstuff used by man.

2. A disease in a hawk. Ainsworth. Rye grass, Italian rye grass, (Bot.) See under Grass. See also Ray grass, and Darnel. -- Wild rye (Bot.), any plant of the genus Elymus, tall grasses with much the appearance of rye.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913