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buckwheat

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buckwheat¹

  • /ˈbʌkʍiːt/
  • /ˈbʌkwiːt/

Where it comes from

Ultimately from Middle Low German bōkwête (“beech-wheat”) (so called because of its triangular seeds, which resemble the much larger seeds of the beech nut from the beech tree, and the fact that it is used like wheat), probably via Middle Dutch boecweit, boecweite. Compare German Buchweizen.

Despite the name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, as it is not a grass.

noun buckwheats

  1. uncountable, usually An Asian plant, of the species Fagopyrum esculentum.
  2. uncountable, usually The fruit of this plant used as a pseudocereal. I'll need a few things. I'll need some mayonnaise and a silver tin of sardines, a banana. I'll need some buckwheat flapjack mix.
  3. US, Western, uncountable, usually Any of the wild buckwheats in the genus Eriogonum.
  4. slang, uncountable, usually A slow and painful murder by the Mafia as a warning to others. Mafia mythology has many believe that the method used to eliminate a person is often a reflection of the respect for that individual. In this case, the Profaci gunman must have witnessed a "buckwheat's" execution, where an example is being made of the victim by inflicting pain for a prolonged period
  5. US, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur The curly hair of a black person.
  6. slang, uncountable, usually Pubic hair.

Buckwheat²

Where it comes from

After a character from the Little Rascals comedy films, from buckwheat. Popularized by politician Corey Poitier in March 2010 though attestations exist as early as February 2008.

proper noun

  1. derogatory, humorous Barack Obama. How will "Buckwheat" Obama handle the ever increasing nuke threat from Iran?

Translations

Every language

noun Fagopyrum esculentum plant

Españolalforfón, trigo sarraceno
한국어메밀 memil
日本語蕎麦
中文蕎麥 /荞麦 qiáomài
हिन्दीकूटू kūṭū, फाफर phāphar, कसपत kaspat
Portuguêstrigo-mouro, trigo-mourisco, trigo-sarraceno, fagópiro
Françaissarrasin
DeutschBuchweizen
Italianograno saraceno, fagopiro
Ελληνικάφαγόπυρο fagópyro
Românăhrișcă
Русскийгречи́ха grečíxa
العربيةحِنْطَة سَوْدَاء ḥinṭa sawdāʔ

noun fruit of this plant as cereal

Españolalforfón
한국어메밀 memil
日本語蕎麦
中文蕎麥 /荞麦 qiáomài
हिन्दीकूटू kūṭū, फाफर phāphar, कसपत kaspat
Portuguêstrigo-mouro, trigo-mourisco, trigo-sarraceno
Françaisblé sarrasin, blé noir, sarrasin
DeutschBuchweizen
Italianograno saraceno
Românăhrișcă
Русскийгречи́ха grečíxa, гре́чка gréčka
Tiếng Việtlúa mạch, kiều mạch
العربيةحِنْطَة سَوْدَاء ḥinṭa sawdāʔ
עבריתכֻּסֶּמֶת kusémet

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MLA

"buckwheat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/buckwheat. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

buckwheat. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/buckwheat

Chicago

"buckwheat." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/buckwheat.

BibTeX
@misc{buckwheat_2026,
  title = {buckwheat},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/buckwheat},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}