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rice
ricenounthe starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
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Rice
RicenounAnne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
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RICE
RICEacronymrest, ice, compression, elevation: the recommended procedure for controlling inflammation in injured limbs or joints
rice
1 Americannoun
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the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
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the grass itself.
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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)
noun
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Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
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Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.
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Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.
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Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.
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Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.
noun
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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
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the grain of this plant
verb
acronym
noun
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has ricedperfect 3rd person singular
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have ricedperfect
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am ricingprogressive 1st person singular
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are ricingprogressive
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have been ricingperfect progressive
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is ricingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been ricingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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ricessingular 3rd person
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ricingparticiple
Past
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had ricedperfect
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were ricingprogressive plural
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had been ricingperfect progressive
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ricedparticiple
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was ricingprogressive singular
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ricedsimple
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.
Previous El Niño events significantly drove up wheat and rice prices by reducing yields in Australia and the Russia-Ukraine-Kazakhstan region.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Wheat, rice, cotton, sugar, cocoa and palm-oil production may be hit the hardest.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
There’s arroz con lentejas, a vegetarian take on “arroz con gandules” that literally translates to rice with lentils.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
The fact that it’s best enjoyed piping hot, with steam rising in thin streams from spoonfuls of rice.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
I point to Zayd, who is sitting in front of a plate of plain rice with some naan on the side.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.