maple

maple — noun

1. A tall tree that grows mainly in the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

1.nounA2
Definition

A tall tree that grows mainly in the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its broad leaves are typically hand-shaped and turn bright red, orange, or yellow in autumn.

Example

The maples in Anong's backyard turned a deep red last October.

maple + autumn colour change

A large maple stood beside the old stone bridge in the village.

countable: a maple + location description

Common collocations
  • sugar maple
  • Japanese maple
  • maple leaf
  • maple syrup
  • maple tree
  • plant a maple
Synonyms
  • oak

    another large deciduous tree common in northern regions, but with lobed leaves instead of hand-shaped ones

  • birch

    a northern tree with smoother bark and smaller, triangular leaves; different leaf shape from maple

  • ash

    a tall deciduous tree with compound leaves; sometimes confused with maple in autumn colour

Grammar Patterns

a maple (singular)

maples (plural)

maple tree / maple trees

2. The hard, light-coloured wood obtained from maple trees. Its fine, even grain ma

2.nounB1
Definition

The hard, light-coloured wood obtained from maple trees. Its fine, even grain makes it popular for furniture, flooring, kitchen cabinets, and cutting boards.

Example

Caio chose maple for the kitchen cabinets because of its light colour.

maple as material for cabinets (uncountable)

The dining table was solid maple and had been in the family for years.

Common collocations
  • solid maple
  • maple flooring
  • maple furniture
  • maple cabinets
  • maple countertop
  • hard maple
  • maple wood
Synonyms
  • oak

    a harder, darker wood with a more pronounced grain, often used for traditional furniture

  • walnut

    a darker, richer brown wood with a distinct grain pattern; considered more decorative than maple

  • cherry

    a reddish-brown hardwood that darkens with age; finer-grained but softer than maple

Grammar Patterns

made of maple

solid maple

maple + noun (maple flooring, maple furniture)

Common Mistakes

The table is made of maple wood tree.
The table is made of maple.
'maple' alone already refers to the wood; adding 'wood tree' is redundant and confusing.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Maple, oak, birch, ash, and elm are all large deciduous trees common in cool northern regions, but each has distinct features. Maple leaves are hand-shaped with pointed tips and produce brilliant autumn colours — red, orange, and yellow. Oak leaves have rounded lobes and acorns, while birch trees are recognisable by their thin, peeling bark. Ash trees have compound leaves with multiple leaflets, and elm trees produce rough, oval-shaped leaves with serrated edges. For a learner, the easiest way to distinguish them is by leaf shape: maple = hand with fingers; oak = wavy-edged; birch = small and triangular; ash = feather-like clusters; elm = oval with saw-tooth edges. In context: 'The maples in Ottawa turned fiery red in October,' whereas 'An old oak stood alone in the field with its acorns scattered on the ground.'

oak ↗birchash ↗elm

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sugar maple
  • red maple
  • silver maple

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'maple' comes from Old English 'mapul' or 'mapel', which is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Old Norse 'mǫpurr'. These forms all go back to a very old Germanic word for this type of tree, used long before English was written down.