rice

noun \ ˈrīs \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of rice

: the starchy seeds of an annual southeast Asian cereal grass (Oryza sativa) that are cooked and used for food; also : this cereal grass that is widely cultivated in warm climates for its seeds and by-products — compare wild rice

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Examples of rice in a Sentence

Rice is the main crop of the country.

Recent Examples of rice from the Web

It's flecked with fine grains of rice to help sweep away not only makeup and grime on your face but also dead skin cells.

— devon abelman, Allure, "Costco Launches The Case Full of Seoul, Its Exclusive 10-Step Korean Beauty Routine in a Box," 5 Apr. 2018
Filipinos are fuming at a shortage of subsidised rice.

— The Economist, "The chief justice of the Philippines is under attack," 22 Mar. 2018
Bradley Farquhar eats a meal of rice, beef and vegetables in Shageluk.

— tegan hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, "From gelato to taquitos: Here are 10 things Iditarod mushers are eating on the trail," 11 Mar. 2018
Authorities say they were fed two daily meals of rice and beans and disciplined for things like making too much noise.

— CBS News, "Woman sentenced to 35 years for keeping 7 special needs children in horrific conditions," 10 Mar. 2018
People attending the group’s rallies might get a juice box and a plate of rice and chicken, but there has been little sign of the lavish spending that traditionally wins elections in Colombia.

— matthew bristow, Bloomberg.com, "Former Guerrillas Face a Drubbing in Their First Colombian Election," 9 Mar. 2018
Owner Leston Donaldson cooks the staples, such as the $10 platter of jerk chicken, cabbage, and red beans and rice.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Let's Eat: Where to eat near the Flower Show," 28 Feb. 2018
This week’s ceremonial arrival of rice, wheat, barley, legumes and other seeds puts the vault’s inventory at more than 1 million varieties of crops.

— adrian higgins, idahostatesman, "Dispelling myths around the Arctic Circle’s famed ‘doomsday’ seed vault on its 10th anniversary | Idaho Statesman," 28 Feb. 2018
The crab shells returned, with a mixture of rice, crab juices, sesame oil and seaweed.

— mitch goldich, SI.com, "Squid Ink Ice Cream! Jeju Black Pig! One Gluttonous Day Exploring Local Cuisine Outside PyeongChang," 15 Feb. 2018

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

Illustration of rice

Origin and Etymology of rice

Middle English rys, from Anglo-French ris, from Old Italian riso, from Greek oryza, oryzon, of Iranian origin; akin to Pashto wriže rice; akin to Sanskrit vrīhi rice

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

RICE

abbreviation

Definition of RICE

rest, ice, compression, elevation

Rice

biographical name \ ˈrīs \

Definition of Rice

Condoleezza 1954– U.S. Secretary of State (2005–09)

Rice

biographical name

Definition of Rice

Elmer Leopold 1892–1967 originally Elmer Reizenstein American dramatist

RICE Defined for English Language Learners

rice

noun

Definition of rice for English Language Learners

: small white or brown grains that come from a southeast Asian plant and that are used for food
: the plant that produces rice

RICE Defined for Kids

rice

noun \ ˈrīs \

Definition of rice for Students

: the small seeds of a tall cereal grass widely grown in warm wet regions that are the chief food in many parts of the world

Medical Dictionary

RICE

abbreviation

medical Definition of RICE

rest, ice, compression, elevation —used especially for the initial treatment of many usually minor sports-related injuries (as sprains)

Learn More about rice

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

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rice

Definition of rice

Examples of rice in a Sentence

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Illustration of rice

Origin and Etymology of rice

RICE

Definition of RICE

Rice

Definition of Rice

Rice

Definition of Rice

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RICE Defined for English Language Learners

rice

Definition of rice for English Language Learners

RICE Defined for Kids

rice

Definition of rice for Students

Medical Dictionary

RICE

medical Definition of RICE

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