maple

noun ma·ple \ ˈmā-pəl \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of maple

: any of a genus (Acer of the family Aceraceae, the maple family) of chiefly deciduous trees or shrubs with opposite leaves and a fruit of two united samaras; also : the hard light-colored close-grained wood of a maple used especially for flooring and furniture

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See maple defined for kids

Examples of maple in a Sentence

The maple leaf is an emblem of Canada.
a table made of maple

Recent Examples of maple from the Web

Use only hardwoods such as maple, oak, ash, hickory and apple.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Safety tips for fireplace cooking," 11 Apr. 2018
People's choice winners included Club Venetian's maple bacon lolly waffle on stick.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Clinton Township's Crazy Gringo taco dish sizzles as the winner at Bacon Bash," 8 Apr. 2018
Wood bats are typically made of maple, ash, and birch.

— jeff barker, baltimoresun.com, "Wood bat or metal? New youth baseball rule tries to settle the debate. But it's expensive.," 6 Apr. 2018
Trees which are available are maple, oak, conifer, dogwoods, spruce and redbud.

— forrest sellers, Cincinnati.com, "Indian Hill residents can help restore trees lost to emerald ash borer," 29 Mar. 2018
For a taste of something different, there’s also chocolate chip, French toast, berry, vegetable jalapeno, and maple bacon.

— rachel lebeaux, BostonGlobe.com, "Wicked Bagel delivers a New York-Style classic," 23 Mar. 2018
The all-white, maple-and-oak lined exterior of designer Anne Hepfer's latest project belies the vibrant decor inside.

— jessica cumberbatch anderson, ELLE Decor, "House Tour: An Empty Nest In Toronto Pays Homage To Coco Chanel," 23 Mar. 2018
Ebel said the company also owns 20 acres of land in Warrenville stocked with sugar maples and will partner with a friend in DeKalb who has an apple orchard to make a maple apply brandy.

— david sharos, Aurora Beacon-News, "Longtime craft beer company Two Brothers is now in the liquor game," 16 Mar. 2018
Road traffic is imperceptible from the house, and, when the maples and the river birches are in leaf, we cannot be seen by anyone walking by.

— steven strogatz, The New Yorker, "The Poltroon Husband," 5 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'maple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of maple

Middle English, from Old English mapul-; akin to Old Norse mǫpurr maple

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First Known Use: 14th century

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MAPLE Defined for English Language Learners

maple

noun

Definition of maple for English Language Learners

: a type of tree that grows in northern parts of the world and has hard wood often used in making furniture
: the wood of a maple tree

MAPLE Defined for Kids

maple

noun ma·ple \ ˈmā-pəl \

Definition of maple for Students

: a tree having deeply notched leaves, seeds with a winglike part, and hard pale wood and including some whose sap is evaporated to a sweet syrup ( maple syrup ) and a brownish sugar ( maple sugar )