millet

noun

mil·​let ˈmi-lət 

1

: any of various small-seeded annual cereal and forage grasses:

a

: a Eurasian grass (Panicum miliaceum) cultivated for its grain which is used for food

b

: any of several grasses related to common millet

2

: the seed of a millet

Examples of millet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Best for Thanksgiving Live stalks of millet, flax, and club wheat are accented with real pheasant leaves in this Thanksgiving-appropriate arrangement. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026

How Long Bird Seed Lasts Most bird seed lasts six to 12 months when stored properly, with high-oil food types generally spoiling faster than grains like corn, milo, millet, or oats. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026

Fill the feeder with black oil sunflower seeds rather than mixed bird seeds that contain smaller seeds like millet and milo. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2026

Moreover Jewish and Eastern Christian frictions go back deep into the Ottoman era, jockeying for the Sultan’s favor in the millet system. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English milet, from Middle French, from Old French, diminutive of mil, from Latin milium; akin to Greek melinē millet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing millet

• foxtail millet
• Japanese millet
• pearl millet

Rhymes for millet

• billet
• skillet
• willet
• acrylate
• cacodylate
• carboxylate
• methacrylate

Kids Definition

millet

noun

mil·​let ˈmil-ət 

1

: a grass cultivated for its small shiny whitish seeds used as human and bird food and sometimes grown for hay

2

: the seed of a millet

Biographical Definition

Millet

biographical name

Mil·​let mē-ˈyā  mi-ˈlā 

Jean-François 1814–1875 French painter