sorghum

noun

sor·​ghum ˈsȯr-gəm How to pronounce sorghum (audio)
1
: any of an economically important genus (Sorghum) of Old World tropical grasses similar to corn in habit but with the spikelets in pairs on a hairy rachis
especially : any of various cultivars (such as grain sorghum or sorgo) derived from a wild form (S. bicolor synonym S. vulgare)
2
: syrup from the juice of a sorgo that resembles cane syrup

Illustration of sorghum

Illustration of sorghum
  • sorghum 1

Examples of sorghum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At Good Hot Fish in Asheville, N.C., shredded green cabbage stars in a pancake punched up with sorghum hot sauce. Kim Severson, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 This being winter, there’s sweet potato soup, warm with baking spices and sorghum molasses. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 The company’s product line runs a whole-grain gamut, including stone-ground sorghum flour, paleo-style muesli and whole wheat-pearl couscous, along with energy bars and cake and soup mixes. Alex Williams, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024 That was particularly true in agriculture: Farmers who exported soybeans, cotton and sorghum to China were hit by Beijing’s decision to raise tariffs on those products to as much as 25 percent. Ana Swanson, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 At this casual restaurant, the five grains are literal: The noodle soup includes strands made from rice, buckwheat, millet, sorghum and corn. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024 Major innovation didn’t come to broom-making until the late 18th century, when farmers in the United States began growing a variety of sorghum, a stiff-stemmed grain known as broomcorn. Kate Morgan, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 Creating a great grain salad can be organized into four key components: Grains: Virtually any grain can lay the foundation: wheat berries and their ancient relatives farro and einkorn, rye berries, sorghum, quinoa, millet, rice of all kinds. Emily Horton, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Get the Recipe 35 of 75 Sorghum-Pecan Monkey Bread Muffins Southern-favorite sorghum and pecans star in this sweet breakfast recipe that your guests will love. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorghum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Italian sorgo, from Vulgar Latin *Syricum (granum), literally, Syrian grain

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorghum was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near sorghum

Cite this Entry

“Sorghum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorghum. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sorghum

noun
sor·​ghum ˈsȯr-gəm How to pronounce sorghum (audio)
1
: any of a genus of Old World tropical grasses that look like corn
especially : one cultivated for grain, forage, or syrup
2
: syrup made from a sorghum
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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