Cereal vs. Millet — What's the Difference?

A cereal is any grass cultivated (grown) for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. The term may also refer to the resulting grain itself (specifically "cereal grain").

Millets () are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa (especially in India, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger), with 97% of millet production in developing countries.

A grass such as wheat, oats, or corn, the starchy grains of which are used as food.

A cereal grown in warm countries and regions with poor soils, bearing a large crop of small seeds which are chiefly used to make flour.

The grain of such a grass.

Any of various annual grasses with small grains that are harvested for food, livestock feed, and birdseed, especially proso millet.

Any of several other plants or their edible seeds or fruit, such as buckwheat or certain species of amaranth.

The grains of any of these plants.

A food prepared from any of these plants, especially a breakfast food made from commercially processed grain.

A demographic group in the Ottoman Empire, defined in terms of religious affiliation and enjoying a degree of legal autonomy.

Consisting of or relating to grain or to a plant producing grain.

Any of a group of various types of grass or its grains used as food, widely cultivated in the developing world.

(countable) A type of grass (such as wheat, rice or oats) cultivated for its edible grains.

(specifically) common millet, in particular Panicum miliaceum.

(uncountable) The grains of such a grass.

(historical) A semi-autonomous confessional community under the Ottoman Empire, especially a non-Muslim one.

(uncountable) Breakfast cereal.

The name of several cereal and forage grasses which bear an abundance of small roundish grains. The common millets of Germany and Southern Europe are Panicum miliaceum, and Setaria Italica.

Of or pertaining to the grasses which are cultivated for their edible seeds (as wheat, maize, rice, etc.), or to their seeds or grain.

Any of various small-grained annual cereal and forage grasses of the genera Panicum, Echinochloa, Setaria, Sorghum, and Eleusine

Any grass cultivated for its edible grain, or the grain itself; - usually in the plural.

French painter of rural scenes (1814-1875)

Grass whose starchy grains are used as food: wheat; rice; rye; oats; maize; buckwheat; millet

Small seed of any of various annual cereal grasses especially Setaria italica

Foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses

A breakfast food prepared from grain

Made of grain or relating to grain or the plants that produce it;