Plural form of barley; multiple types, batches, or plants of the barley grain.
Simple plural of 'barley,' which comes from Old English 'bærlic,' derived from 'bære' (a grain or bristle). The '-ey' ending became '-ey' in Middle English.
The plural of barley reveals why we say 'different barleys'—farmers actually grew many varieties (two-row, six-row, hulless) and brewers had favorite barleys for making different beers, so the plural was essential.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.