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

The possibility of him suiting up in Wolverine yellow, sorry, maize and blue makes me want to sign onto the next Artemis mission, so long as it abandons me on Pluto.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Aliyu Abdullahi Isa, a 25-year-old Fulani herder, knows the names of all the 20 white cattle grazing on the remains of dry stalks of maize.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

However, growing large amounts of maize in the highlands was difficult, and the Inca did not have seafaring technology.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

The South American nation is the world's top exporter of soy and maize, and ongoing efforts to upgrade river ports aim to ease transportation.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

I worked, too, harvesting maize and fava beans.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez