Quick Definition
σῖτος, ου, ὁ n.m. & n.n. wheat, grain
Strong's Definition
grain, especially wheat
Derivation: of uncertain derivation;
KJV Usage: corn, wheat
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, n. | -ου | σῖτος
3.42 · Plants · Fruit Parts of Plants
grain, food (a diminutive form of σῖτος ‘grain,’ 3.41, but not diminutive in meaning) any grain, but with the evident implication of its relevance as food (See also 5.2.) On the basis of this one NT occurrence it is impossible to know whether the meaning of σιτία is ‘grain’ or ‘food,’ since in the phrase σιτία καὶ ποτά ‘food and drink’ (an expression occurring in a number of extrabiblical contexts), the term σιτίον contrasts solid with liquid nourishment.
5.2 · Foods and Condiments · Food
food, grain (diminutive of σῖτος[a] ‘wheat, grain,’ 3.41, but without diminutive meaning and occurring primarily in the plural) food consisting principally of grain products It is, of course, possible in ACT 7:12 to understand the plural form as ‘grain’ (see 3.42), but the reference is probably to food made from grain, a common meaning of this term in Classical Greek.
noun, m. | -ου | ἀσιτία · ἄσιτος · ἐπισιτισμός · σιτίον · σιτιστός · σιτομέτριον
3.41 · Plants · Fruit Parts of Plants
grain, wheat any kind of edible grain, though generally referring to wheat
MAT 3:12 · MAT 13:30 · MRK 4:28 · LUK 3:17 · LUK 12:18 · LUK 16:7 · LUK 22:31 · ACT 27:38 · 1CO 15:37 · REV 6:6 · REV 18:13
3.31 · Plants · Plants That Are Not Trees
wheat the plant of wheat Elsewhere in the NT σῖτος, when used alone, refers to wheat as grain, but even in JHN 12:24 τοῦ σίτου may be interpreted as a so-called ‘appositional genitive,’ that is, ‘seed which is wheat’ or ‘wheat seed.’
While in some parts of the world wheat as a grain or as a plant is not known, in almost all instances people are acquainted with wheat flour, and therefore it is often possible to translate ‘wheat’ as ‘flour plant’ or ‘plant the grain of which is used to make flour.’ In some languages, however, the only possible equivalent is ‘rice-like plant’ in which ‘rice-like’ means essentially ‘grass-like,’ while at the same time indicating edible grain.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
σῖτος, -ov, 6, [of uncertain origin; cf. Vanicek, Fremdworter, s. v.], fr. Hom. down, Sept. chiefly for 127 wheat, corn: Mt. iii. 12; xiii. 25, 29 sq.; Mk. iv. 28; Lk. iii. 17: oKaviaricos (xii. 18 WH Trtxt.]; xvi. 7; xxii. 31; Jn. xii. 24; Acuw xxvii. 88; 1 Co. xv. 37; Rev. vi.6; xviii. 13; plur. ra σῖτα (cf. W. 63 (62)), Acts vii. 12 Rec., and often in Sept.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
σῖτος sitos 14x
corn, grain, wheat, Mt. 3:12; 13:25, 29, 30; Mk. 4:28
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
σῖτος, -ου, ὁ
[in LXX chiefly for דָּגָן ;]
wheat, corn: Mt 3:12 13:25, 29, 30 Mk 4:28, Lk 3:17 12:18 16:7 22:31, Jo 12:24, Ac 27:38, I Co 15:37, Re 6:6 18:13.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
σῖτος, “corn”: cf. P Cairo Zen I. σθοοιῦ (B.c. 273) τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἡ τιμὴ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ σίτου, 7d. 590042 (B.C. 259 Ὁ) ἀπὸ τοῦ σιτοποιηθέντος σίτου, zi. 590498 (B.C. 257) πρὸς τῆι συν]αγῳγῆι τοῦ σίτου, P Cornell 151 (B.c. 256) εἰς τὸν ἑτοιμαϊόμενον σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν κο(τύλη) a, P Lond 4217 (B.c. 168) (=I. p. 30, UPZ i. p. 300, Selections, p. 10) εἰς πᾶν τι ἐληλυθυῖα διὰ τὴν τοῦ σίτου τιμήν, “having come to the last extremity because of the high price of corn,” P Par 59° (B.C. 159) (= UPZi. p. 413) ἠγώρακα σίτου ap(taBas) Β (δραχμῶν) XA, and BGU I. 27} (ii/a-p.) (= Sedections, p. 101) ὥστε ἕως σήμερον μηδέν᾽ ἀπολελύσθαι τῶν μετὰ σίτου, “so that up till to-day no one of us in the corn service has been let go” (on this letter see W. M. Ramsay in Hastings’ DB vy. p. 381). In the Byzantine Aphrodito papyri otros is several times distinguished from kpt@q, and means especially “‘wheat,” cf. P Lond IV. 13357 (A.D. 709) with the editor’s note. The ta otra of Attic Greek is retained in the LXX in Job and Proverbs, see Thackeray Gr. i. Ρ. 155. To the exx. of the very common adj. σιτικός we can now add P Bouriant 4257 (a.p. 167), and 44 (ii/A.D.).
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
σῖτος (sitos) — grain. σῖτος, ὁ, irregular plural σῖτα, τά, [Refs 6th c.BC+]:— grain, comprehending both wheat (πυρός) and barley (κριθή), ἐν [Ἰθάκῃ] σ. ἀθέσφατος ἐν δέ τε οἶνος γίγνεται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; περὶ σίτου ἐκβολήν about the shooting of the corn into ear, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῦ σ. ἀκμάζοντος at its ripening, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σ. ἀληλεσμένος or -εμένος ground corn, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σίτου εἰσαγωγή, ἐξαγωγή, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; comprehending πυρός, κριθή, ὄλυρα, and φακός, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; περὶ τοῦ σ. καὶ τοῦ σησάμου [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ὁ σ. καὶ τὰ λάχανα as examples of πόα, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
2. food made from grain, bread, opposed to flesh-meat, σ. καὶ κρέα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σῖτον ἔδοντες, a general epithet of men as opposed to to beasts, ὅσσοι νῦν βροτοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ χθονὶ σ. ἔδ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of savages, who eat flesh only, οὐδέ τι σῖτον ἤσθιον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of civilized men, σῖτον καὶ σπείρουσι καὶ σιτέονται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κάρδαμον ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῷ σ. [Refs]; πίνειν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τῷ σ[Refs 1st c.AD+]
3. in a wider sense, food, as opposed to to drink, σ. ἠδὲ ποτής [Refs 8th c.BC+]; even of porridge (κυκεών),[Refs 8th c.BC+]; εὐνὴ καὶ σ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; provisions, σῖτα ἀναιρέεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρέχειν μέχρι τριάκοντα ἡμερῶν σ. Foed. cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. rarely of beasts, fodder, [Refs 8th c.BC+]—In the general sense of food, Prose writers prefer the diminutive form σιτία, τά.
II. in Attic dialect Law, allowance of grain made to widows and orphans. σῖτον διδόναι, ἀποδιδόναι, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.2. δίκην σίτου δικάσασθαι, bring an action under the Athen. Corn-law against regraters and monopolists, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.3. allowance made to the Ἱππεῖς, [Refs]
II.4. public distribution of corn in Rome, Latin frumentatio, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ σίτου ὄντα ἐν Ῥώμῃ [Refs 2nd c.AD+]