A cereal grass (Triticum vulgare) and its grain, which furnishes a white flour for bread, and, next to rice, is the grain most largely used by the human race. (Bot.)
A small two-winged fly (Diplosis tritici) which is very destructive to growing wheat, both in Europe and America. The female lays her eggs in the flowers of wheat, and the larvae suck the juice of the young kernels and when full grown change to pupae in the earth.
Wheat moth
any moth whose larvae devour the grains of wheat, chiefly after it is harvested; a grain moth. See Angoumois Moth, also Grain moth, under Grain.
Wheat thief
gromwell; -- so called because it is a troublesome weed in wheat fields. See Gromwell.
Wheat thrips
a small brown thrips (Thrips cerealium) which is very injurious to the grains of growing wheat.