maize

American  

[mayz] / meɪz /

noun

• maizes
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• maizes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of maize

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

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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

See Examples For:

maize maizes

Tampa Bay communities also never adopted the extensive maize agriculture associated with Mississippian society, relying instead on fishing and other marine resources.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Across Europe, grain maize yields are expected to come in 7% below the last five years’ average, while soybean yields will be 14% below average, according to the report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

However, the maize proved difficult to mill and distribute.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Hussein Abu Saddam, head of the Farmers' Syndicate, expects fertiliser-intensive crops such as wheat, maize and rice to decline if costs stay high.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

And he told the Pilgrims to fertilize the soil by burying fish alongside the maize seeds, a traditional native technique for producing a bountiful harvest.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The comparative nutritive value of white and yellow maizes.

From The Vitamine Manual by Walter H. Eddy

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