noun
Japanese barnyard millet; Echinochloa esculenta
A type of millet traditionally cultivated in Japan, used for food and birdseed. The scientific name is Echinochloa esculenta.
ヒエは昔から日本で栽培されてきた穀物です。
Japanese barnyard millet is a grain that has been cultivated in Japan since ancient times.
小鳥の餌にヒエを混ぜる。
I mix barnyard millet into the birdseed.
The word is native Japanese. The kanji 稗 is a Chinese character used for this type of millet, but the Japanese reading ひえ is not derived from Chinese.