maple
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maple¹
- /ˈmeɪpl̩/ UK
- [ˈmeɪp(ə)ɫ̩] UK
- /ˈmeɪp(ə)l/ Canada, US
- /ˈmæɪpəl/ Australia, New Zealand
- [ˈmæɪp(ə)ɫ̩] Australia, New Zealand
- /meːpɘl/ India
- [ˈmeːp(ɘ)l] India
Rhymes with -eɪpəl
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English mapel (“tree of species Acer campestre, sole native maple of the British Isles); wood of such a tree; artistic representation of a maple leaf; a beam, pole, stake (?)”), from Old English *mapul (attested in mapulder (“maple tree”), mapultrēow (“maple tree”), etc.), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul (“maple tree”), from Proto-Germanic *mapulaz; further etymology uncertain, possibly from *masuraz (“type of wood with spots or veins, such as maple or walnut”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mos- (“skin sore”)) + *aplaz (“apple; fruit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ébōl (“apple; apple tree”)).
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun.
cognates
* Dutch meppel (dialectal)
* Old English mæsen (“maple”)
* Middle Low German mapeldorn
* Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra (modern German Masseller, Maßholder; Mase (“scar”), Maser (“knob; offshoot; measle, speck”))
* Old Norse mǫpurr, mǫsurr (“maple”)
* Old Saxon mapulder
noun maples
- Any 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
- A 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.
- Often 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.
- Chiefly 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
- Wood 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.
- The light-brown color of the wood of a maple tree (etymology 1, noun sense 3).
- The 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.
- Short 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”).
adjective
- Of the light-brown colour of the wood of a maple tree (etymology 1, noun sense 3).
- Of the flavour of, or made with, maple syrup.
maple²
- /ˈmeɪpl̩/ UK
- /ˈmeɪp(ə)l/ Canada, US
- /ˈmæɪpəl/ Australia
- /ˈmæepl̩/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -eɪpəl
Where it comes from
A variant of mapau, influenced by maple (etymology 1).
noun maples
-
Synonym 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.
Similar: mapau
Maple³
Where it comes from
English surname, from the noun maple.
proper noun Mapel
- A surname.
- An unincorporated community in West Virginia.
- A town in Wisconsin.
- An urban community in Vaughan, York Region, Ontario, Canada.
- Clipping of MapleStory i'm asking these questions for my friend who has mac, and i want him to be able to play maple.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: tree, sap, syrup, fung, sirup, vail, feng, arce, rock maple, hard maple, black maple, red maple, acer, sugar maple, mountain maple, striped maple
Translations
Every language
noun tree of the genus Acer genus
| Español | maple, arce |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 단풍나무 danpungnamu |
| 日本語 | 楓 kaede, かえで kaede |
| 中文 | 楓樹 /枫树 fēngshù, 槭樹 /槭树 qìshù |
| Kiswahili | mshira |
| Português | ácer, bordo, zelha |
| Français | érable |
| Deutsch | Ahorn |
| Italiano | acero, loppio |
| Ελληνικά | σφενδάμι sfendámi |
| Română | arțar, paltin |
| Русский | клён kljon |
| Tiếng Việt | phong, thích |
| العربية | قَيْقَب qayqab |
| עברית | אדר éder |
Talk about this word "maple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/maple. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. maple. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/maple "maple." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/maple.Cite this
@misc{maple_2026,
title = {maple},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/maple},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
