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rice
ricenounthe starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
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Rice
RicenounAnne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
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RICE
RICEacronymrest, ice, compression, elevation: the recommended procedure for controlling inflammation in injured limbs or joints
rice
1 Americannoun
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the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.
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the grass itself.
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a food that is chopped or otherwise processed to resemble rice (used in combination): sweet potato rice.
cauliflower rice;
sweet potato rice.
verb (used with object)
noun
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Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.
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Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.
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Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.
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Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.
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Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.
noun
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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
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the grain of this plant
verb
acronym
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ricesimple
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ricessimple
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have ricedperfect
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has ricedperfect
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am ricingprogressive
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are ricingprogressive
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is ricingprogressive
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have been ricingperfect progressive
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has been ricingperfect progressive
Past
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ricedsimple
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had ricedperfect
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was ricingprogressive
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were ricingprogressive
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had been ricingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing rice
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As good as Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are, they thrive in space, which is why they are in Tuchel's midfield.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
The package focuses on addressing housing supply constraints and making federal programs easier to use, said David Gonzalez Rice, senior vice president of public policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
The momentum in Washington to respond to those pressures — which came as something of a surprise to advocates — can be viewed as a reflection of current public sentiment, Gonzalez Rice said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Against Croatia, as England passed the ball backwards, Declan Rice moved into a wide-left position vacating the centre of the pitch for Harry Kane to drop into alongside Elliot Anderson.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
There are shelves of alphabet spaghetti, Pedigree Chum, and Ambrosia Rice Pudding.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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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.