noun
oatmeal
OHT-meel
noun
1
Ground or rolled oats, or the porridge made by cooking them.
"She had a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast."
adj
1
A pale greyish-brown colour, like cooked oats.
"He wore an oatmeal-coloured sweater."
How to Use Oatmeal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCooked oats eaten as a warm breakfast, or a soft beige colour.
UK vs US
In the US, "oatmeal" usually refers to the cooked breakfast dish itself, while in the UK the same dish is more often called "porridge".
Common pairings
bowl of oatmeal
oatmeal cookie
Word Forms
oatmeals plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “oatmeal”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She had a warm bowl of _____ for breakfast.
Etymology
From Middle English otemele, combining ote ("oat") and mele ("meal, ground grain").