buckwheat
noun
buck·wheat ˈbək-ˌ(h)wēt 
1
: any of a genus (Fagopyrum of the family Polygonaceae, the buckwheat family) of Eurasian herbs with alternate leaves, clusters of apetalous pinkish-white flowers, and triangular seeds
especially : either of two plants (F. esculentum and F. tartaricum) cultivated for their edible seeds
2
: the seed of a buckwheat used as a cereal grain
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Working with Garcia, the couple removed the boxwood hedges that faced the street and installed new planters, which Covarrubias filled with sun-loving California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). 
Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022 Groves of cottonwoods along our rural highways will turn a brilliant yellow in the shorter, crisper days of October, and the white blossoms of the wild California buckwheat will soon fade to a rusty red. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 The Pepper, Feta, & Olive Ragout over buckwheat and kale was a delight, and Greg Baxtrom’s Mac & Greens from the Mosaic+ menu, which adds puréed rutabaga to the usual béchamel, made for a surprisingly creamy and yummy pasta. Amanda Shapiro, Bon Appétit, 15 Aug. 2022 The vast majority of residents live extremely close to the bone, patching together a living by herding livestock and subsistence farming crops of buckwheat, potatoes, and barley. Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 27 July 2022 For the second, Lejeck used a medicine cabinet to display modern medicine containers filled with traditional, medicinal plants, writing the Kumeyaay names for the plants like buckwheat — or hemill — on the bottle. San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2022 One soldier lit a stove and began frying buckwheat. New York Times, 1 June 2022 There’s no buckwheat and sugar in her store nearby, and the prices have gone up. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 An example is moonshine yarrow [Achillea ‘Moonshine’ — a hybrid introduced in England] growing near bee’s bliss sage, or sweet lavender and rosemary growing near a native buckwheat and hummingbird sage. Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2022 See More
Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2022 Groves of cottonwoods along our rural highways will turn a brilliant yellow in the shorter, crisper days of October, and the white blossoms of the wild California buckwheat will soon fade to a rusty red. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 The Pepper, Feta, & Olive Ragout over buckwheat and kale was a delight, and Greg Baxtrom’s Mac & Greens from the Mosaic+ menu, which adds puréed rutabaga to the usual béchamel, made for a surprisingly creamy and yummy pasta. Amanda Shapiro, Bon Appétit, 15 Aug. 2022 The vast majority of residents live extremely close to the bone, patching together a living by herding livestock and subsistence farming crops of buckwheat, potatoes, and barley. Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 27 July 2022 For the second, Lejeck used a medicine cabinet to display modern medicine containers filled with traditional, medicinal plants, writing the Kumeyaay names for the plants like buckwheat — or hemill — on the bottle. San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2022 One soldier lit a stove and began frying buckwheat. New York Times, 1 June 2022 There’s no buckwheat and sugar in her store nearby, and the prices have gone up. Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022 An example is moonshine yarrow [Achillea ‘Moonshine’ — a hybrid introduced in England] growing near bee’s bliss sage, or sweet lavender and rosemary growing near a native buckwheat and hummingbird sage. Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Dutch boekweit, from Middle Dutch boecweit, from boec- (akin to Old High German buohha beech tree) + weit wheat — more at beech
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
buckwheat
noun
buck·wheat ˈbək-ˌhwēt
-ˌwēt
: a plant with pinkish white flowers that is grown for its dark triangular seeds which are used as a cereal grain