/ ˈsɪəriəl; NAmE ˈsɪr-/ noun
1.
[ C ] 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.
[ U ] the grain produced by cereal crops
3.
[ C , U ] food made from the grain of cereals, often eaten for breakfast with milk :
breakfast cereals
a bowl of cereal
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent. (as an adjective): from Latin cerealis , from Ceres , the goddess of agriculture in Roman mythology.