Main Entry: rice

Pronunciation: \ˈrīs\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English rys, from Anglo-French ris, from Old Italian riso, from Greek oryza, oryzon, of Iranian origin; akin to Pashto wriže rice; akin to Sanskrit vrīhi rice

Date: 13th century

: the starchy seeds of an annual southeast Asian cereal grass (Oryza sativa) that are cooked and used for food; also : this cereal grass that is widely cultivated in warm climates for its seeds and by-products — compare wild rice

[rice illustration]