maple

American  

[mey-puhl] / ˈmeɪ pəl /

noun

1. 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.

2. the wood of any such tree.

3. the flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar.

4. Bowling Slang. pin.

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maple British  

/ ˈmeɪpəl /

noun

1. any tree or shrub of the N temperate genus Acer, having winged seeds borne in pairs and lobed leaves: family Aceraceae

2. the hard close-grained wood of any of these trees, used for furniture and flooring

3. the flavour of the sap of the sugar maple

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Other Word Forms

• maplelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of maple

before 900; Middle English mapel, Old English mapul-, in mapultrēow, mapulder maple tree, cognate with Old Saxon mapulder

Example Sentences

Oaks and maples lit up like Christmas trees, their burning leaves glowing like strands of orange bulbs.

From Literature

Your papa, so thick and strong like a maple tree, he never made a fuss about helping my daddy split logs or round up cattle when they strayed.

From Literature

You cannot go wrong with an old-school tahini dressing: tahini, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice and enough water to thin it into something pourable and generous.

From Salon

“Someone’s planting baby maple trees on the bare patches.”

From Literature

A glug of olive oil and another of maple syrup lend a subtle savory-sweet factor.

From The Wall Street Journal