einkorn
|ein-korn|
🇺🇸
/ˈaɪn.kɔrn/
🇬🇧
/ˈaɪn.kɔːn/
one-grain wheat
Etymology
'einkorn' originates from German, specifically the word 'Einkorn', where 'ein' meant 'one' and 'Korn' meant 'grain'.
'einkorn' changed from German 'Einkorn' (from Middle High German elements 'ein' + 'korn') and was adopted into English to refer to the single-grained wheat (parallel to the botanical Latin name 'Triticum monococcum').
Initially, it meant 'one-grain' (literally a single kernel), and over time it kept that literal sense while becoming the established English name for the ancient wheat species.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an ancient species of wheat (Triticum monococcum) characterized by single-grained spikelets; a small, hulled, primitive wheat cultivated since Neolithic times.
Einkorn was one of the first cereals domesticated in the Near East.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the grain or seed produced by the einkorn plant; used for milling or as a whole grain in traditional diets.
Farmers harvested einkorn when the small grains had fully ripened.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 15:10