rice
noun
the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
rice
1 American
[rahys]
/ raɪs /
noun
-
rice
plural
-
the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
-
the grass itself.
-
a food that is chopped or otherwise processed to resemble rice (used in combination): sweet potato rice.
cauliflower rice;
sweet potato rice.
verb (used with object)
-
rices,
present (3rd person singular)
-
riced,
past participle, past
-
ricing
present participle
Rice
2
American
[rahys]
/ raɪs /
noun
-
Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
-
Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.
-
Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.
-
Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.
-
Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.
rice
1
British
/ raɪs /
noun
-
an erect grass, Oryza sativa , that grows in East Asia on wet ground and has drooping flower spikes and yellow oblong edible grains that become white when polished
-
the grain of this plant
verb
RICE
2
British
/ raɪs /
acronym
Rice
3
British
/ raɪs /
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ricesimple
-
ricessimple
-
have ricedperfect
-
has ricedperfect
-
am ricingprogressive
-
are ricingprogressive
-
is ricingprogressive
-
have been ricingperfect progressive
-
has been ricingperfect progressive
Past
-
ricedsimple
-
had ricedperfect
-
was ricingprogressive
-
were ricingprogressive
-
had been ricingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rice
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ris, rys, from Old French, from Italian riso, risi (in Medieval Latin risium ), from Medieval Greek orýzion, derivative of Greek óryza, from an Iranian language, e.g., Old Persian brizi, Pashto vrižē; akin to Sanskrit vrīhi-, perhaps ultimately of Dravidian origin
Explanation
Rice is a kind of plant, as well as the grain that comes from it. At some Chinese restaurants, you get a choice between white rice and brown rice. White rice is processed or "polished," so the outer germ is removed — it's a staple of Chinese and Indian cuisine, among others. There are many varieties of rice, defined by the color and length of the individual grain. When rice is a verb, it means "force through a sieve," or in other words, to take something like a potato and make it look like rice. We can trace the origin of rice back to the Sanskrit vrihi-s.
Vocabulary lists containing rice
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We cannot eat rice without water. We cannot cook vegetables without water," he said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
I love serving them over rice with whatever vegetables I have waiting in the freezer, perhaps some steamed edamame, corn and shredded cabbage.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Breakfast cereal giant Kellogg's has stopped using rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK due to "changing weather conditions" that have disrupted supplies.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
For Toukta, the 18 family members she lives with and other rice and coffee farmers residing near the turbines, Monsoon has brought new roads and improved access to fresh water and healthcare.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
I caught a whiff of her fading lavender perfume and the fried rice from dinner.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
That debt is also listed as disputed by Rice, who was not suspended by the NFL following Jones’ allegations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
The likes of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and many others are now stonewall selections but the intrigue is around the remaining few spots still seemingly up for grabs.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The company also said that Rice Krispies and Coco Pops will continue to meet UK food standards on levels of fat, salt and sugar in food.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
LA28 said in its announcement that Rice would remain on as an executive producer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Mr. Rice was furious, but we children figured that the mainland schools were too embarrassed to be beaten out by islanders and so made up a rule to save their faces.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
RICE: The Owls don’t play again until Jan. 1 when they play the first of two consecutive games at Texas-San Antonio.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 20, 2020
RICE: I don't know what his soul is, but his behavior is appalling.
From Reuters ● Jan. 27, 2012
RICE: She was absolutely right to speak up for our values.
From Reuters ● Jan. 27, 2012
"ARCHIE RICE," it says in 6-ft. letters on a shabby music hall in a third-rate watering place in the north of England.
From Time Magazine Archive
RICE, Frederick W. SEE Getting ready to be a mother.
From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1950 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
It’s one of the best fried rices in the South End: aromatic with smoky wok hei, seasoned with a clarion-sweet soy sauce and amped up with MSG.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
These different rices were either not washed at all, washed three times with water or washed ten times with water.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2023
I go to a little place to buy dumplings and I get various rices, like black rice or green rice or jasmine rice or sticky rice.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2020
You can put them into bins by groups, you can have all your rices together, instead.”
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2018
They’re bringing us rices And cocoa and spices And pineapples done up in tin, And maybe Aunt Dinah Will come back from China If ever the boats get in.
From The Peter Patter Book of Nursery Rhymes by Blanche Fisher Wright
For one, it doesn’t absorb liquid like rice does, so riced cauliflower alongside stews and curries will be more watery.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2023
If the core is tender, you can turn it into riced cauliflower along with the florets; otherwise, reserve it for another use as it won’t cook up the same.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2023
Serve with rice, riced cauliflower, or traditional injera, fermented Ethiopian flatbread.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2022
They had tea, herbal soup, fried eggs, steam riced and Chinese sausages and vegetables ready and waiting when I arrived.
From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2019
When done place on a hot platter and surround with riced potato.
From Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus A Collection of Practical Recipes for Preparing Meats, Game, Fowl, Fish, Puddings, Pastries, Etc. by Rufus Estes
This takes the work out of ricing a head of cauliflower, for instance, and makes mincing garlic and ginger less of a chore.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2023
“Ricing to me is real spiritual. There’s a lot who have gone home already, and when I’m ricing, the harder I work … the closer I am to them.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
A 44-year-old single dad, he takes his two boys and a nephew ricing to help cover the bills and for the kids to buy video games.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
But the beds are “continually shrinking,” said White, who’s been ricing for three decades.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
They were planning this year’s sugaring, a time everyone looked forward to with joy and excitement, as much as ricing, maybe even more.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
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