maple

noun ma·ple \ ˈmā-pəl \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 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

In the dining area, against the wall of windows looking out toward Center City, a unvarnished maple table is surrounded with eight chairs and contrasts with Epi flooring underneath.

— diane fiske, Philly.com, "Restaurateur Steve Poses settles into a new kitchen - at home in South Philly," 5 June 2018
Pulled sweet potatoes with chipotle barbecue sauce and a Southern-style skillet corn bread with maple butter sound good for all, right?

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "7 delightful cookbooks to savor this summer," 29 May 2018
The Toronto Blue Jays will wear four maple leafs on the right side of their caps to honor the four branches of Canada’s military, too.

— carl prine, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Marine Corps tells company to quit using its name to sell promotional baseball jerseys," 22 May 2018
The 15 October Glory maples of 3-inch caliper, and two magnolias of 10 to 12 feet, come with amendments, mulch, stakes and a one-year guarantee.

— david ibata, ajc, "Roswell OKs partnership to plant 17 trees," 16 May 2018
The maple iced flavored donut with chocolate icing for a beard was created by Peña's Donuts & Diner at 10555 Pearland Pkwy and debuted Saturday, co-owner Aldo Salazar, 37, told Chron.com Monday afternoon.

— fernando alfonso iii, Houston Chronicle, "Houston bakery pays tribute to Houston Rockets star James Harden with hilarious donut," 14 May 2018
And on autumn mornings, the sharp fragrance of woodsmoke and rotted manure laced the air, and the maples began to blaze.

— richard brown, Smithsonian, "This Photographer Spent 46 Years Documenting the Vanishing World of Vermont’s Remote Northeast Kingdom," 10 May 2018
And then there’s poor Minneola, whose gathering spot ends up being the Donut King, where the maple frosted ones are to die for but the venue is a bit tight.

— lauren ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Minneola may finally get its city center if new owners of huge development keep word," 7 May 2018
Trees like oak, ash, birch, and maple see pollen surges in the spring.

— umair irfan, Vox, "It’s not your imagination. Allergy season gets worse every year.," 28 Apr. 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

in the meaning defined above

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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 )