maize

maize — noun

1. a tall plant with broad green leaves that produces yellow or white seeds (kernel

1.nounB1
Definition

a tall plant with broad green leaves that produces yellow or white seeds (kernels) on long ears. People use the seeds for food — boiling, roasting, or grinding them into flour — and also feed them to farm animals.

Example

Ilan's family grows maize on their farm in Kenya and sells it locally.

collocation: grow maize

Every autumn, the farmers near our village harvest the maize before the heavy rains begin.

collocation: harvest maize

Common collocations
  • grow maize
  • harvest maize
  • grind maize
  • feed maize (to animals)
  • maize flour
  • maize field
Synonyms
  • corn

    The common term in American, Australian, and New Zealand English for the same plant and grain; in British English, corn can also refer to wheat or other cereal grains.

Grammar Patterns

maize + verb (uncountable)

a type / variety of maize

ear / cob of maize

Usage Note

In American English, this crop is usually called corn. In British English and in formal or scientific contexts, maize is the standard term. The grain itself is uncountable (some maize), but you can refer to a single plant or type as countable (a maize, several maizes).

Common Mistakes

I bought three corns from the supermarket.
I bought three ears of corn / three cobs of maize.
Corn and maize are uncountable for the grain; use ear or cob to refer to whole structures.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Maize and corn refer to the same plant and grain, but their usage depends on region. Maize is the standard term in British English and in scientific or international contexts. Corn is the everyday word in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand for the same crop. However, in British English, corn traditionally refers to any cereal grain such as wheat or barley, so maize is preferred for this specific plant. Grain is a broader category that includes any small hard seed from a cereal plant — maize, wheat, rice, and so on. Cereal is also a broad term for grasses cultivated for their edible seeds. For example, a farmer in Kenya grows maize, while a farmer in Iowa grows corn, but both are growing the same crop.

corn ↗grain ↗cereal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • maize crop
  • maize field
  • maize plant
  • maize flour
  • maize porridge
  • maize farmer

Adverbs

  • locally grown
  • dried
  • freshly harvested

Phrases

  • ear of maize
  • cob of maize
  • sack of maize
  • kernel of maize

Prepositions

  • of maize (a field of maize)
  • maize from

Etymology

TaínoSpanishEnglish

The word maize entered English in the 16th century from Spanish maíz, which was borrowed from the Taíno language spoken by the Indigenous people of the Caribbean. The crop itself was unknown in Europe before Columbus brought it back from the Americas.