maple

UK: /ˈmeɪp^əl/ US: /ˈmeɪpəl/ ,(mā′pəl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ma•ple /ˈmeɪpəl/   n. 

1. Plant Biology [countable] any of numerous trees or shrubs grown for ornament, for timber, or for sap.
2. [uncountable] the wood of the maple.
3. [uncountable] the flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ma•ple  (mā′pəl), n. 

1. Plant Biology any of numerous trees or shrubs of the genus Acer, species of which are grown as shade or ornamental trees, for timber, or for sap. Cf. maple family. 
2. the wood of any such tree.
3. the flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar.
4. Sport [Bowling Slang.] pin (def. 11).

• Middle English mapel, Old English mapul-, in mapultrēow, mapulder maple tree, cognate with Old Saxon mapulder bef. 900

ma′ple•like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

maple / ˈmeɪp^əl/ noun

1. any tree or shrub of the N temperate genus Acer, having winged seeds borne in pairs and lobed leaves: family Aceraceae
2. the hard close-grained wood of any of these trees, used for furniture and flooring
3. the flavour of the sap of the sugar maple

See also sugar maple, Norway maple, sycamoreEtymology: 14th Century: from Old English mapel-, as in mapeltrēow maple tree