Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Wheat?

\Wheat\ (hw[=e]t), n. [OE. whete, AS. hw[=ae]te; akin to OS. hw[=e]ti, D. weit, G. weizen, OHG. weizzi, Icel. hveiti, Sw. hvete, Dan. hvede, Goth. hwaiteis, and E. white. See {White}.] (Bot.) A cereal grass ({Triticum vulgare}) and its grain, which furnishes a white flour for bread, and, next to rice, is the grain most largely used by the human race. Note: Of this grain the varieties are numerous, as red wheat, white wheat, bald wheat, bearded wheat, winter wheat, summer wheat, and the like. Wheat is not known to exist as a wild native plant, and all statements as to its origin are either incorrect or at best only guesses. {Buck wheat}. (Bot.) See {Buckwheat}. {German wheat}. (Bot.) See 2d {Spelt}. {Guinea wheat} (Bot.), a name for Indian corn. {Indian wheat}, or {Tartary wheat} (Bot.), a grain ({Fagopyrum Tartaricum}) much like buckwheat, but only half as large. {Turkey wheat} (Bot.), a name for Indian corn. {Wheat aphid}, or {Wheat aphis} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of Aphis and allied genera, which suck the sap of growing wheat. {Wheat beetle}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small, slender, rusty brown beetle ({Sylvanus Surinamensis}) whose larv[ae] feed upon wheat, rice, and other grains. (b) A very small, reddish brown, oval beetle ({Anobium paniceum}) whose larv[ae] eat the interior of grains of wheat. {Wheat duck} (Zo["o]l.), the American widgeon. [Western U. S.] {Wheat fly}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Wheat midge}, below. {Wheat grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Agropyrum caninum}) somewhat resembling wheat. It grows in the northern parts of Europe and America. {Wheat jointworm}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Jointworm}. {Wheat louse} (Zo["o]l.), any wheat aphid. {Wheat maggot} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a wheat midge. {Wheat midge}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small two-winged fly ({Diplosis tritici}) which is very destructive to growing wheat, both in Europe and America. The female lays her eggs in the flowers of wheat, and the larv[ae] suck the juice of the young kernels and when full grown change to pup[ae] in the earth. (b) The Hessian fly. See under {Hessian}. {Wheat moth} (Zo["o]l.), any moth whose larv[ae] devour the grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; a grain moth. See {Angoumois Moth}, also {Grain moth}, under {Grain}. {Wheat thief} (Bot.), gromwell; -- so called because it is a troublesome weed in wheat fields. See {Gromwell}. {Wheat thrips} (Zo["o]l.), a small brown thrips ({Thrips cerealium}) which is very injurious to the grains of growing wheat. {Wheat weevil}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The grain weevil. (b) The rice weevil when found in wheat.