maze

[meyz]

noun

1. a confusing network of intercommunicating paths or passages; labyrinth.

2. any complex system or arrangement that causes bewilderment, confusion, or perplexity.

   Her petition was lost in a maze of bureaucratic red tape.

3. a state of bewilderment or confusion.

4. a winding movement, as in dancing.

verb (used with object)

mazed, mazing 

1. Chiefly Dialect.,  to daze, perplex, or stupefy.

maze

/ meɪz /

noun

1. a complex network of paths or passages, esp one with high hedges in a garden, designed to puzzle those walking through it Compare labyrinth

2. a similar system represented diagrammatically as a pattern of lines

3. any confusing network of streets, pathways, etc

   a maze of paths

4. a state of confusion

verb

1. an archaic or dialect word for amaze

Other Word Forms

• mazedly adverb
• mazedness noun
• mazelike adjective
• intermaze verb (used with object)
• mazement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maze¹

1250–1300; Middle English mase, noun use of aphetic variant of amasen to amaze

Word History and Origins

Origin of maze¹

C13: see _amaze

Example Sentences

Two buildings connected by an outdoor walkway and large pools form a maze of showers, saunas, and relaxation spaces — some easier to find than others.

Read more on Salon

While Coffin Creek, which at times went by the name Crossroads Haunted Village, was essentially a destination populated by several independently owned and operated haunted mazes, Shireman was the head of the operation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Owens' five-acre pumpkin patch expanded last year to include a horror maze that employs local actors.

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Leavitt has no more concept of what she’s doing than a rat understands why it’s running in a maze.

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Amid this legal and institutional tug-of-war, the Spanish federation offered its support, while the government trod cautiously through the regulatory maze, waiting to see how events unfolded.

Read more on BBC