Oxford Essential Dictionary
cereal
noun
1 (plural cereals) a plant that farmers grow so that we can eat the grain (= the seed):
Wheat and oats are cereals.
2 (no plural) a food made from grain, that you can eat for breakfast with milk:
a bowl of cereal with milk
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
cereal
ce‧re‧al S3 /ˈsɪəriəl $ ˈsɪr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: céréale, from Latin cerealis 'of Ceres', from Ceres ancient Roman goddess of grain and farming]
1. [uncountable and countable] a breakfast food made from grain and usually eaten with milk:
a bowl of breakfast cereal
2. [countable] a plant grown to produce grain, for example wheat, rice etc:
cereal crops
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
cereal
cer·eal [cereal cereals] [ˈsɪəriəl] [ˈsɪriəl] noun
1. countable one of various types of grass that produce grains that can be eaten or are used to make flour or bread. Wheat, barley and rye are all cereals
• cereal crops
2. uncountable the grain produced by cereal crops
3. countable, uncountable food made from the grain of cereals, often eaten for breakfast with milk
• breakfast cereals
• a bowl of cereal
Word Origin:
early 19th cent. (as an adjective): from Latin cerealis, from Ceres, the goddess of agriculture in Roman mythology.
Example Bank:
• I have cereal for breakfast.
• a big bowl of cereal
• a wholewheat cereal fortified with B group vitamins
• fortified breakfast cereals
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
cereal / sɪə.ri.əl / / sɪr.i- / noun [ C or U ]
C1 a plant that is grown to produce grain:
cereal crops
A2 a food that is made from grain and eaten with milk, especially in the morning:
breakfast cereals
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
cereal
[sɪ͟əriəl]
cereals
1) N-MASS Cereal or breakfast cereal is a food made from grain. It is mixed with milk and eaten for breakfast.
I have a glass of fruit juice and a bowl of cereal every morning.
2) N-COUNT Cereals are plants such as wheat, corn, or rice that produce grain.
...the rich cereal-growing districts of the Paris Basin.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
cereal
ce·re·al /ˈsirijəl/ noun, pl -als
1 [count] : a plant (such as a grass) that produces grain that can be eaten
• Wheat and barley are common cereals.
2 : a breakfast food made from grain
✦Cereal is usually eaten in a bowl with milk poured over it.
[noncount]
• a bowl of cereal
• Some kinds of cereal have a lot of added sugar.
[count]
• Some cereals have a lot of added sugar.
• breakfast cereals