rice

1 of 3

noun

ˈrīs 

: 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

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 mouth

—Mitch 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

Open since 1961 and still family-owned, the Honolulu institution remains a favorite among locals and visitors alike, serving classic combinations of rice, macaroni salad and protein-rich entrees. —Staff, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Platja de Riumar, Ebro Delta The Ebro Delta is one of Spain's largest and most distinctive natural landscapes — a vast mosaic of wetlands, lagoons, rice fields, and barrier beaches extending into the Mediterranean. —Jamie Carter, Space.com, 7 June 2026

Verb

Like the grocer's popular Hearts of Palm Pasta, this rice alternative is made with just hearts of palm that's been riced, of course. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026

Bangkok’s heat is unkind to rice the cornerstone of Edomae. —Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026

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

Phrases Containing rice

• Arborio rice
• basmati rice
• black rice
• brown rice
• converted rice
• dirty rice
• forbidden rice
• fried rice
• glutinous rice
• jasmine rice
• Jollof rice
• parboiled rice
• purple rice
• rice cooker
• rice paper
• rice polishings
• rice pudding
• Spanish rice
• sticky rice
• sushi rice
• white rice
• wild rice

Rhymes for rice

• dice
• feis
• gneiss
• grice
• ice
• lice
• mice
• slice
• spice
• splice
• thrice
• trice

Kids Definition

rice

noun

ˈrīs 

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)

ˈrīs 

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