rice

1 of 3

noun

: 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

Illustration of rice

Illustration of rice

rice

2 of 3

verb

riced; ricing; rices

transitive verb

: to finely chop or process (a food) so that it resembles rice
riced cauliflower
Grilled calamari is served over riced potatoes that melt in the mouthMitch Frank
Ricing the spuds with the butter and cream, rather than mashing them, makes them light and airy, and gives you a completely different experience.Yotam Ottolenghi

RICE

3 of 3

abbreviation

rest, ice, compression, elevation

Examples of rice in a Sentence

Noun Rice is the main crop of the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Yoong and about 100 other dog-pushers were confined in a ramshackle complex of stilted, timber shacks with thatch roofs, which became their home for a month, subsisting on two daily meals of rice and vegetables while being feasted upon by mosquitos and assorted beasties. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 The all-you-can-eat buffet features Southern comfort-food staples like collard greens, black-eyed peas, candied yams and rice. Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024 Our best gluten-free chocolate cake recipe combines oat and rice flours for a tender fudgy all-occasion dessert. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 The system can apply to up to 23 crops, but the government usually offers the minimum price only for rice and wheat. Rishi Lekhi and Ashok Sharma, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Serve this skillet meal alongside something that will capture all the savory, schmaltzy sauce — crusty bread, rice or noodles. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Scientists might find a way, for instance, to sustainably cultivate azolla and turn it into fertilizer for other crops beyond rice. Matt Simon, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Per Ko, serve this over rice with soy sauce, sesame oil and Chinese black vinegar and eat immediately, for best results. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The restaurant is offering a prix-fixe dinner ($45) that includes shrimp-mousse toast, vegan coconut cakes, massaman curry, drunken noodles, mango sticky rice and Thai tea panna cotta. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Connors said a majority of Bad River tribal members prefer ricing at Kakagon than off-reservation. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2023 Prepare riced cauliflower according to package instructions. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023 Saffron appears everywhere from risotto Milanese and the bouillabaisse of Marseille to rice dishes across the Middle East and India, proof of both its desirability and its ability to grow in many parts of the world. Jane Black, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rice was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near rice

Cite this Entry

“Rice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rice. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rice

noun
1
: a southeast Asian grass widely grown in warm wet areas especially for its seeds which are used for food
2
: the seeds of rice

Medical Definition

RICE

abbreviation
rest, ice, compression, elevation
used especially for the initial treatment of many usually minor sports-related injuries (as sprains)

Biographical Definition

Rice 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Condoleezza 1954–     U.S. Secretary of State (2005–09)

Rice

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Elmer Leopold 1892–1967 originally Elmer Reizenstein American dramatist

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