maize — a tall cereal plant that produces kernels on large ears; corn
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a tall cereal plant that produces kernels on large ears; corn
Pronunciation (IPA): /meɪz/
Example Sentences
- The popcorn vendor ran out of maize during the movie marathon.
- Indigenous peoples cultivated maize thousands of years before Europeans arrived.
- The maze made of maize was so confusing that even the farmer got lost!
maize
NOUN[/meɪz/]
a tall cereal plant that produces kernels on large ears; corn
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Maize derives from Taíno mahiz, the word used by Haitian indigenous peoples for corn. Spanish conquistadors encountered this crop in the Americas during the 16th century and borrowed the term, transmitting it through Spanish maíz into English as maize.
Breakdown
mahiz (Taíno: corn/maize) → maíz (Spanish) → maize (English), representing the direct lexical borrowing from indigenous Caribbean language through Spanish colonial intermediaries.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The popcorn vendor ran out of maize during the movie marathon.”
“Indigenous peoples cultivated maize thousands of years before Europeans arrived.”
“The maze made of maize was so confusing that even the farmer got lost!”
“Maize is a staple food crop in many developing countries.”
📚Related Words
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