the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
the grass itself.
a food that is chopped or otherwise processed to resemble rice (used in combination): sweet potato rice.
cauliflower rice;
sweet potato rice.
Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.
Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.
Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.
Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.
an erect grass, Oryza sativa , that grows in East Asia on wet ground and has drooping flower spikes and yellow oblong edible grains that become white when polished
the grain of this plant
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ris, rys, from Old French, from Italian riso, risi (in Medieval Latin risium ), from Medieval Greek orýzion, derivative of Greek óryza, from an Iranian language, e.g., Old Persian brizi, Pashto vrižē; akin to Sanskrit vrīhi-, perhaps ultimately of Dravidian origin
Rice is a kind of plant, as well as the grain that comes from it. At some Chinese restaurants, you get a choice between white rice and brown rice. White rice is processed or "polished," so the outer germ is removed — it's a staple of Chinese and Indian cuisine, among others. There are many varieties of rice, defined by the color and length of the individual grain. When rice is a verb, it means "force through a sieve," or in other words, to take something like a potato and make it look like rice. We can trace the origin of rice back to the Sanskrit vrihi-s.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spoon over warm rice and pile on whatever toppings you have around: avocado, cheese, cabbage, cilantro, leftover pico or a squeeze of lime.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Under the SNP manifesto pledge, large supermarkets would be compelled to limit the cost of up to 50 essential items such as milk, eggs, cheese and rice.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
The data came as Takaichi plans to draft a supplementary budget in a bid to safeguard growth, as consumers face soaring prices of everything from energy to rice due to the Middle East conflict.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
The Andes virus, which circulates in Argentina and Chile and is mainly spread among the long-tailed pygmy rice rat, is the only hantavirus strain known to be able to transmit from human to human.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Jeremy knew that most of them held stuff like leftover rice pudding.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
