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

To film there, we first had to seek permission from the community's chief, and we were guided throughout by a local crew of fixers who knew how to navigate its maze of waterways.

From BBC

Show attendees slowly walked through the maze of vehicles, examining features like charging ports and trunk space.

From Los Angeles Times

A character named Gracie, for example, guides kids interactively through mazes and maps displayed either on the tablet or in the classroom.

From Los Angeles Times

On the ground floor, mosaics by acclaimed Russian artist Boris Anrep spread along a maze of domed grey and black corridors, with figures and sculptures covering the fixtures and fittings throughout.

From BBC

This year, he’s returned to Horror Nights with a score set to a relaunch of an original, Depression-era set maze, “Scarecrow.”

From Los Angeles Times