maple
Americannoun
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maples
plural
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any of numerous trees or shrubs of the genus Acer, species of which are grown as shade or ornamental trees, for timber, or for sap.
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the wood of any such tree.
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the flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar.
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Bowling Slang. pin.
noun
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any tree or shrub of the N temperate genus Acer, having winged seeds borne in pairs and lobed leaves: family Aceraceae
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the hard close-grained wood of any of these trees, used for furniture and flooring
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the flavour of the sap of the sugar maple
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of maple
before 900; Middle English mapel, Old English mapul-, in mapultrēow, mapulder maple tree, cognate with Old Saxon mapulder
Explanation
While most people think of syrup when they see the word maple, it actually describes any tree or shrub in the Acer family with unique winged seeds that come in pairs. The wood from maple trees is prized for its strength and beauty, making it perfect for furniture and flooring. In addition to their stunning fall colors, maple trees produce sweet sap, especially from the sugar maple, which is used to make delicious maple syrup. The maple leaf is a symbol of Canada, proudly featured on the country's flag. Maple trees are appreciated for their practical uses and their natural beauty, making them a valuable part of nature.
Vocabulary lists containing maple
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:
The prince joined volunteers harvesting seeds from a field maple tree and planted a sessile oak tree - designated as the national tree of Wales.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
In an interview with David Rosenberg of Rosenberg Research, Gundlach relayed the story of a 100-year-old silver maple at his house in Buffalo, N.Y., that lost a giant limb, nearly hitting the chimney.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
When a Canadian puts a maple leaf flag on his backpack, he isn’t simply saying, “I love Canada”; he’s also saying, “Don’t confuse me for an American, bud.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Usually, I whisk whatever sweetener I have on hand directly into the custard: honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, sometimes a combination.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
When I made it to the meeting spot, Chi-Roy and Miig were already there, each with a wild turkey strung up in the lower branches of a maple.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Van der poel, Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, Paul Seixas and Pidcock were all there, all animating and pushing to breakaway from one another under gradually yellowing Canadian maples.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
In my Connecticut backyard, I’ve been reclaiming the turf under my maples and birches by planting native ferns, geraniums and woodland asters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Along the way, we’ll be on the lookout for native trees, like bigleaf maples and black walnut trees, that change colors with the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2024
In the shady hills of Appalachia, a small fruit tree grows in the shadow of taller oaks and maples.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024
She flapped and sailed out over the red maples.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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