SINCE 1828
maize
noun
\ ˈmāz
\
\
Definition of maize
: 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
In the Global South, climate change has caused the yields of some crops, such as maize and wheat, to decline, and lowered animal-growth rates and productivity in African pastoral systems. — Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, "Deforestation, Agriculture, and Diet Are Fuelling the Climate Crisis," 8 Aug. 2019 The country’s central government in the capital, Kampala, gave incentives for farmers in northern Uganda to grow cotton, sesame, and maize on large-scale farms, and trees were cleared in preparation. — Jennifer Huxta, Marie Claire, "Moringa Oil Is Here to Save Your Skin, Your Hair, and the Planet," 22 July 2019 Five hundred and seventeen maize weevils were found embedded in a Japanese pot from the late Jomon Period, and 527 millipedes were found trapped in Burmese amber from the Cretaceous. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 10 Mar. 2019 On the plus side, Myers said that Draymond Green liked Poole — no small feat, considering that Green is a Michigan State Spartan and openly despises everything maize and blue. — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, "Kurtenbach: Three thoughts on the Warriors’ three draft picks," 21 June 2019 After the genocide, he was adopted and raised by his uncle in Kayonza, a poor district on the border of the park, where people grow maize and raise cattle. — Benedict Moran, National Geographic, "Rwanda's war nearly destroyed this park. Now it's coming back.," 7 May 2019 And maize, which is packed with calories, is critical to survival in the famished country. — Julia Thompson, USA TODAY, "Lab-grown meat, GMOs, high-tech ag: 'Fate of Food' explores solutions to global food crisis," 6 June 2019 Faced with declining harvests, the argument goes, European farmers began to experiment with potatoes, tomatoes, and maize, consumed more beef and milk, and found that manure and crop diversification helped increase grain production. — Nathaniel Rich, Harper's magazine, "Ruina Mundi," 10 May 2019 Moses Mungai has driven a maize lorry for four hours to get here, from a border town in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. — The Economist, "Why Africa’s poor pay high prices," 15 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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