rice

¹ American  

[rahys] / raɪs /

noun

1. the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.

2. the grass itself.

3. a food that is chopped or otherwise processed to resemble rice (used in combination): sweet potato rice.

   cauliflower rice;

   sweet potato rice.

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verb (used with object)

riced, ricing

1. to reduce to a form resembling rice.

   to rice potatoes.

Rice ² American  

[rahys] / raɪs /

noun

1. Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.

2. Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.

3. Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.

4. Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.

5. Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.

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rice ¹ British  

/ raɪs /

noun

1. 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

2. the grain of this plant

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verb

1. (tr) to sieve (potatoes or other vegetables) to a coarse mashed consistency, esp with a ricer

RICE ² British  

/ raɪs /

acronym

1. rest, ice, compression, elevation: the recommended procedure for controlling inflammation in injured limbs or joints

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Rice ³ British  

/ raɪs /

noun

1. Elmer , original name Elmer Reizenstein . 1892–1967, US dramatist. His plays include The Adding Machine (1923) and Street Scene (1929), which was made into a musical by Kurt Weill in 1947

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Etymology

Origin of rice

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

Example Sentences

They added only one notable appliance to their kitchen: a giant pot for rice, large enough to meal-prep a week’s worth of carbs in one batch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Alongside heaping plates of spiced rice — filled with generous chunks of tender mutton and buttery marrow and slivers of fried golden onions — were bowls of a humble condiment.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Fans were given a say in key decisions, voting online to shape production and game mechanics, from choosing tribe colors to requiring castaways to earn rice and supplies instead of receiving them at the start.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

In the rice paddies of Buri Ram, Thailand, a sarus crane gently cleans its one-week-old chick before lingering in a quiet beak-to-beak moment.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

She sets it on the table and unloads containers filled with tamales and rice and beans and chips and salsa.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• wheat