Definitions

1. noun

a type of cereal grain, especially one of the grains of the grass family used to make beer or as a food.

“The farmer harvests the barley crop every summer.”

2. verb

to reduce or convert something into a form of barley

“The chef barley reduced the sauce to get the right consistency.”

3. adverb

almost or nearly

“The plane barely made it to the runway on time.”