maize

noun

ˈmāz 

: a tall annual cereal grass (Zea mays) originally domesticated in Mexico and widely grown for its large elongated ears of starchy seeds : corn entry 1 sense 4

Along with maize, their main food, the ancient Maya planted squash, beans, peppers, cacao, and other plants, all of which they used for food or medicinal purposes.

—Evelyn Dana Feld

But evidence has been elusive, because the standard macrofossils—say, squash rinds or maize kernels—quickly rot in the sultry climate.

—Kathryn Brown

Examples of maize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Set the scene Banana plantations, fields of maize and roadside villages line the road up to Kibale Lodge, which sits at 1,430 metres overlooking hills, lakes and terraces in the Great Lakes region. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026

France is on track for its lowest maize harvest in 50 years, and Romania has lost more than a million hectares of maize. — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

The avocado relocation likely occurred around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, which is about when other South American crops, like chocolate and some maize varieties, appear in the Central American archaeological record. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 July 2026

Terraced fields of maize and potatoes still line vertiginous farms, and Spanish-colonial churches continue to wither under decades of neglect. — Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish maíz, from Taino mahiz

First Known Use

circa 1544, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for maize

• baize
• bays
• blase
• blaze
• braes
• braze
• chaise
• claes
• clays
• craze
• dais
• days

Kids Definition

maize

noun

ˈmāz 

1

: corn entry 1 sense 1

2

corn entry 1 sense 2

3

corn entry 1 sense 3