rye

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A grain used extensively in Europe for making bread, beer, and (now generally) for animal fodder.

   “They bought a sack of rye and a sack of wheat with the intent to try their hand at milling and baking.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The grass Secale cereale from which the grain is obtained.

   “This field will be planted to rye next spring.”

3. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable)Ellipsis of rye bread.

   “Customer: A tuna sandwich, please. Waiter: Sure, hon. You want that on white, wheat, or rye?”

4. (Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable)Ellipsis of rye whiskey, whiskey made mainly or wholly from rye grain.

   “He likes any whiskey, but his favorite is rye.”

   ““Gimme a shot of rye.” The whiskey stung his throat hot and fragrant.”

   “I bought a pint of rye at the liquor counter and carried it over to the stools and set it down on the cracked marble counter.”

   “Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey ’n rye/Singin’, "This’ll be the day that I die."”

5. (Canada, US, countable)A drink (serving) of rye whiskey.

   “I'll have a rye, neat, please.”

   “It concerns the gnomelike quality of the average American at a party. I have been to many parties where staid American business men have been transformed by a few ryes or bourbons into unpredictable gremlins out for adventure.”

6. (broadly, countable, proscribed, sometimes, uncountable)Caraway (from the mistaken assumption that the whole seeds, often used to season rye bread, are the rye itself)
7. (broadly, countable, proscribed, sometimes, uncountable)Ryegrass, any of the species of Lolium.
8. (countable, uncountable)A disease of hawks.

   “And if it [vndeꝛ the peꝛch] be grene ſhe engenderith the Ry. The condicion of this euell is this, it wil ariſe in the hede and make the hede to ſwell, ⁊ the iyen all glaymous, and dyrke, and bot it haue helpe: it will downe in to the legges, and maake the legges to rancle, and if it goo fro the legges in to the hede a gayne, thi hawke is bot looſt.”

   “Of all the diseases that belongs to these Hawkes, there bee onely three that they bee most subiect vnto, which is the Rye, the Crampe, and the Craye.”

9. (countable, uncountable)A young man.

   “The Rye is my uncle, Hans Breitmann, Mr. Leland, whom all the Romanies know. His gipsy lore was great; […]”

name

1. A small town and civil parish in Rother district, East Sussex, England (OS grid ref TQ9220).
2. A hamlet in Odiham parish, Hart district, Hampshire, England (OS grid ref SU7750).
3. A river in North Yorkshire, England, that flows through Ryedale to join the Derwent.
4. A commune in Jura department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
5. A number of places in the United States:
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8. A number of places in the United States:
9. A number of places in the United States:
10. A number of places in the United States:
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13. A coastal suburb in the Shire of Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia.
14. A surname.
15. A nickname of the given name Ryan.