What does wheatmeal mean?
Wheatmeal is a mass noun for flour made by grinding wheat. Depending on the product and region, it may be relatively fine or coarse and may retain more of the grain's outer bran and germ than highly refined white flour; wholemeal is the more specific term for flour made from the whole grain. In British English, wheatmeal can sound close to wholemeal, so context and labeling matter. Historically, the word simply described the meal produced by milling wheat and could apply to several grades of flour. It remains useful in food, baking, and nutrition contexts, especially when describing rustic, brown, or minimally refined products. Because formulations differ, wheatmeal should not be assumed to have the same nutritional profile everywhere. It is also a transparent compound: wheat names the source grain, while meal names its finely divided food form.
nounAn uncountable noun for flour or meal made by grinding wheat. It may refer to several textures and degrees of refinement, including brown or whole-wheat products, depending on the product and region.
- Uncountable noun: Flour or meal made by grinding wheat, available in different textures and degrees of refinement.
"The baker used wheatmeal to give the loaf a subtly nutty texture."
"The bakery sells several kinds of bread made with wheatmeal."
"She sprinkled some wheatmeal over the warm porridge."
Rare; ordinarily used when referring to distinct varieties or kinds of wheatmeal.
"The shop stocks several wheatmeals, including finely milled and stone-ground varieties."
Wheatmeal tells you the grain; wholemeal tells you what the mill kept.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wheatmeal
Wheatmeal is an English compound of wheat and meal, both of which were inherited from Old English. It emerged in Middle English as a term for the flour or meal produced by milling wheat. The wheat element continues in words such as wheaten and wheatfield, whereas meal has a separate Germanic ancestry.
How wheatmeal is actually used
Wheatmeal is normally an uncountable mass noun. Its fineness and composition vary by market and product, so it is not always interchangeable with white flour or wholemeal.
Easily confused with wheatmeal
Wheatmeal is a general term for flour made from wheat, whereas wholemeal specifically denotes flour retaining the grain's bran and germ.