maple

noun

ma·​ple ˈmā-pəl 

: any of a genus (Acer of the family Sapindaceae, the soapberry 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

Examples of maple in a Sentence

The maple leaf is an emblem of Canada.

a table made of maple

Recent Examples on the Web

Adorned with silk maple leaves, pinecones, and bright, berried branches, the 24-inch design brings a warm, welcoming touch to your front door. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025

The saloon bar’s eye-popping, maple, epoxy countertop was custom-made in Oklahoma and features a meandering blue river inlaid with real gold nuggets and rocks to represent the iconic American River. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025

They were created to store the sap collected from nearby maple trees and boil that down to create maple syrup. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

There are more than 3,000 sugarhouses statewide, and luckily, Route 100 is packed with shops that sell everything from maple candy to giant tubs of syrup. —Megan Margulies, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing maple

• bird's-eye maple
• hard maple
• Japanese maple
• maple sugar
• maple syrup
• Norway maple
• red maple
• rock maple
• silver maple
• sugar maple
• tiger maple
• vine maple

Rhymes for maple

• papal
• staple

Kids Definition

maple

noun

ma·​ple ˈmā-pəl 

: any of a group of trees having deeply notched opposite leaves, dry fruits with two wings, and hard light-colored wood and including some from which maple syrup and maple sugar are obtained

also : the wood of a maple