maple

noun ma·ple \ ˈmā-pəl \

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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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 a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla.

— cheryl stritzel mccarthy, chicagotribune.com, "Busy mom shares easy make-ahead breakfast ideas," 29 Aug. 2017
Tree species affected by the 2015 proposal include elms, sycamores, maples, box elders, catalpa and mulberries, among others.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Can they do that? Billboard company wants to cut down hundreds of trees on public land in Louisville," 24 Aug. 2017
Mix fireball, maple syrup, and orange juice in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.

— kara studzinski, Esquire, "How to Turn College Spirits Into Grown-Up Cocktails," 22 Aug. 2017
That list includes apples, pears, Indian hawthorns, roses-of-Sharon, forsythias, lacebark elms, silver maples and a host of other common plants.

— neil sperry, star-telegram, "‘Reading’ your leaves means something quite different in the garden," 16 Aug. 2017
Maples worked with coroner Richard Greathouse to examine the body, concluding that Taylor was not poisoned.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "William R. Maples Popularized Forensic Anthropology Long Before CSI," 7 Aug. 2017
Add the marinara sauce or tomatoes, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and tamari to the saucepan.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "From blog to cookbook: Plant-based eating catching on — without the dogma," 18 July 2017
Sumner nodded along and let maple syrup pool over his pancakes.

— alden woods, azcentral, "'Here for the eviction': More renters forced from homes as affordable-housing crisis deepens," 16 July 2017
The countless complex interactions necessary to produce a single maple may be the result of nothing intelligent, omniscient, or all-seeing.

— Longreads, "Late in Life, Thoreau Became a Serious Darwinist," 13 July 2017

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 )

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See words that rhyme with maple Spanish Central: Translation of maple Nglish: Translation of maple for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of maple for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about maple

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maple

Definition of maple

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MAPLE Defined for English Language Learners

maple

Definition of maple for English Language Learners

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maple

Definition of maple for Students

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