maple

plural maples

1. countableuncountableAny member of any species of genus Acer, characterized by (usually) palmate, five-lobed leaves and winged seeds, and often grown for syrup or wood

   Russian maple

   3 more examples

   They have a large maple in their yard.

   The Maple [Acer] (of vvhich Authors reckon very many kinds) vvas of old held in equal eſtimation almoſt vvith the Citron; eſpecially the Bruſcum, the French-Maple, and the Peacocks-tail-Maple, vvhich is that ſort ſo elegantly undulated, and criſped into variety of curles: They are all produced of Keys, like the Aſh; […]

   1664, J[ohn] E[velyn], “Of the Maple”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC, page 28

   In days of yore, from Britain's shore, / [John] Wolfe the dauntless hero came, / And planted firm Britannia's flag, / On Canada's fair domain. / Here may it wave, our boast, or pride, / And joined in love together, / The Thistle, Shamrock, Rose entwine / The Maple Leaf for ever! // [Chorus] The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear, / The Maple Leaf for ever! / God save our Queen, and Heaven bless / The Maple Leaf for ever!

   1867 (date written), Alexander Muir, “The Maple Leaf for Ever. […]”, special edition, Toronto, Ont.: The Nordheimer Piano & Music Co., published 1871, →OCLC, pages 1–2

   1. UKcountableA small tree (Acer campestre), known as the common maple, field maple, or hedge maple, which has palmate leaves with five lobes and winged seeds, and is chiefly native to East Asia, Europe, North Africa, and North America.

      The vvarlike Beech, the Aſh for nothing ill, / The fruitfull Oliue, and the Plataine round, / The caruer Holme, the Maple ſeeldom invvard ſound.

      1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 9, page 5

      1 more example

      The great Maple is a beautifull and high tree, vvith a barke of a meane ſmoothnes: the ſubſtance of the vvoode is tender and eaſie to vvorke on it; it ſendeth foorth on euery ſide very many goodly boughes and branches, vvhich make an excellent ſhadovv againſt the heate of the ſunne; […] There is a ſmall Maple vvhich doth oftentimes come to the bignes of a tree, but moſt commonly it grovveth lovv after the maner of a ſhrub, the barke heereof is likevviſe ſmooth; […]

      1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of the Maple Tree”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book III, page 1299

   2. countableOften preceded by a descriptive word: a tree of the genus Acer; especially the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) native to North America which has brightly colored autumn foliage and is the primary source of maple syrup.
2. countableChiefly preceded by a descriptive word: a tree of a genus other than Acer which has an appearance or wood similar to an Acer tree.

   Queensland maple

3. uncountableWood of an Acer tree, valued for its attractive appearance and hardness; also, similar wood from a tree of a genus other than Acer; (countable) a particular type of such wood.

   This table is made of maple and also has some fruitwood inlays.

   1 more example

   Eager and never weary we pursued / Our home-amusements by the warm peat-fire / […] / We schemed and puzzled, head opposed to head / In strife too humble to be named in verse: / Or round the naked table, snow-white deal, / Cherry or maple, sate in close array, […]

   1799–1805 (date written), William Wordsworth, “Book I. Introduction.—Childhood and School-time.”, in The Prelude, or Growth of a Poet’s Mind; an Autobiographical Poem, London: Edward Moxon, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 24

4. uncountableThe light-brown color of the wood of a maple tree (etymology 1, noun sense 3).
5. uncountableThe flavor of maple syrup made from the sap of a maple tree, or an imitation of that flavor.

   What flavour is your ice-cream? Mine’s maple—it’s delicious.

6. abbreviationcountableShort for maple pea (“the field pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense) which has brown, speckled seeds used dry rather than fresh; a seed of this plant”).

1. not comparableOf the light-brown colour of the wood of a maple tree (etymology 1, noun sense 3).
2. not comparableOf the flavour of, or made with, maple syrup.

plural maples

1. New ZealandarchaicSynonym of mapau (“any of several trees of New Zealand, especially in the genus Myrsine”).

   The maples – red, white and black – were there, and ribbonwood or lace bark; while rata, or 'Ironwood', so called because of its hardness, made a splash of crimson in summertime.

   1967, Robert McLatchie, Kathleen Keene, Tang of the Bush: The Story of Robert McLatchie, 1875–1963, as Told to His Daughter, Kathleen Keene […], 2nd edition, Invercargill, New Zealand: […] Copy Services, →OCLC, page 34

   Synonyms: mapau

alternative Mapel

1. A surname.
2. An unincorporated community in West Virginia.
3. A town in Wisconsin.
4. An urban community in Vaughan, York Region, Ontario, Canada.
5. abbreviationclippingcolloquialvideo gamesClipping of MapleStory.

   free maple hacks

   2010 July 13, Erma FIERRO, “FREE HACKS”, in alt.business.home.pc (Usenet), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025

   3 more examples

   i'm asking these questions for my friend who has mac, and i want him to be able to play maple.

   2007 February 5, Gold Dust Woman, “The Truth Is Finally Coming Out!!!”, in Anime Otakus (Google Groups), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025

   Because when i try to play it, there is always a pop-up that tells me that i can't play maple because my window isnt compatible.

   2007 April 4, Paul Smith, quoting Making my window^([sic]) compatible to games, “Re: Playing Maple Story”, in microsoft.public.windows.vista.games (Usenet), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025

   1. Researcher: So you can switch between characters? Switch between dinosaurs and humans? 2. Ken: No. But since you, when gather^([sic]) the DNA, then you can change to the dinosaurs. 3. Weibin: Use it as a mount. Can ride on it… 4. Ken: Maple! / In this excerpt, Weibin in turn #3 suggested another idea of using the dinosaur as a “mount”, a common item in popular online games, such as MapleStory and WOW.

   2014, Beaumie Kim, Lynde Tan, Seng Chee Tan, “‘Perhaps This Can Be For Education’: […]”, in Michael Orey, Stephanie A. Jones, Robert Maribe Branch, editors, Educational Media and Technology Yearbook, volume 38, Cham: Springer, →ISBN, part I (Trends and Issues in Learning, Design, and Technology), page 36