maize

American  

[meyz] / meɪz /

noun

1. (chiefly in British and technical usage) corn.

2. a pale yellow resembling the color of corn.

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maize British  

/ meɪz /

noun

1. Also called: Indian corn. 

   1. a tall annual grass, Zea mays, cultivated for its yellow edible grains, which develop on a spike

   2. Usual US and Canadian name: corn.  the grain of this plant, used for food, fodder, and as a source of oil See also sweet corn

2. 1. a yellow colour

   2. ( as modifier )

      a maize gown

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Etymology

Origin of maize

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish maíz, from Taíno (Hispaniola) mahís

Explanation

Maize is another word for corn, the tall-growing grain that produces yellow kernels on long ears. A small farmer might grow several different types of maize. Maize is more commonly used in Britain than in the United States to talk about corn, but most Americans recognize the word. Sweet maize is the variety that tastes the most delicious — other kinds of maize are grown as grain to feed animals. The word maize comes from the Spanish maíz, or corn, and both the word and the grain itself moved north from Central and South America into North America, where it became the continent's largest grain crop.

Example Sentences

Maize was one of the most important staple crops in the Americas.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

Maize prices strengthened on firm demand for Brazilian supplies, while rice prices fell as buyers pulled back from Indica and fragrant varieties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

“When it last listed, there were two other offers from people that wanted to subdivide the land,” Maize said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

Maize prices in Zambia, where 5.8 million people are estimated to face acute food insecurity between October 2024 and March 2025, have reached multiple record highs so far this year.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2024

Maize had not grown in these abandoned pastures for centuries, but the handiwork of the land's original inhabitants remained for those with eyes to see it.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann