maple

noun

ma·​ple ˈmā-pəl 

: any of a genus (Acer of the family Sapindaceae, the soapberry 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

Examples of maple in a Sentence

The maple leaf is an emblem of Canada.

a table made of maple

Recent Examples on the Web

The shop serves up fancy offerings like maple bacon, blueberry pancake or s’mores donuts or more traditional stylings like glazed or powdered sugar donuts. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026

The seat is deliberately situated for maximum forest and sunrise view, and over the years the neighboring field had been an apple orchard pruned out to favor maturing maple trees that are used for tapping. —Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026

There are some other younger and older expressions available as well, but this one hits the sweet spot in terms of flavor, with notes of red berry, vanilla custard, maple candy on the palate, and smoky oak tannins on the finish. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026

There are a lot of wooden spoons out there, and Le says oak, pine, walnut, birch, and maple all have very good antimicrobial properties. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English mapul-; akin to Old Norse mǫpurr maple

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing maple

• bird's-eye maple
• hard maple
• Japanese maple
• maple sugar
• maple syrup
• Norway maple
• red maple
• rock maple
• silver maple
• sugar maple
• tiger maple
• vine maple

Rhymes for maple

• papal
• staple

Kids Definition

maple

noun

ma·​ple ˈmā-pəl 

: any of a group of trees having deeply notched opposite leaves, dry fruits with two wings, and hard light-colored wood and including some from which maple syrup and maple sugar are obtained

also : the wood of a maple