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

Half of the country’s rice, cotton, and maize crops have been damaged, while workshops vital to the country’s textiles industry are under water, and doctors warned that conditions in camps for the millions of displaced are likely to cause disease. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Federal prosecutors have said the fungus causes a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice. —Christina Hall, Freep.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Avocado, cassava, sweet potatoes, and maize traveled between islands long before Europeans divided the waters into empires. —Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025

Underwood wasn’t the only one in maize and blue to have an impressive debut. —Larry Lage, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

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