maple

American  

[mey-puhl] / ˈmeɪ pəl /

noun

1. 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.

2. the wood of any such tree.

3. the flavor of maple syrup or maple sugar.

4. Bowling Slang. pin.

---

maple British  

/ ˈmeɪpəl /

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

---

Other Word Forms

• maplelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of maple

before 900; Middle English mapel, Old English mapul-, in mapultrēow, mapulder maple tree, cognate with Old Saxon mapulder

Example Sentences

The prime minister also probed Hansen on one burning issue: "A lot of Canadians just wanted one point of reassurance, that the preference is for maple syrup over nutella on your pancakes in the morning."

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

I always get the Andante, a cold brew with maple syrup, salted sweet cream foam, cacao powder and pink salt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The finished product is indulgent and addictive, flavoring the humble chia seed with freshly brewed Thai tea, maple syrup and vanilla extract, alongside a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

The Canadian will also be taking maple syrup and maple cookies on his lunar voyage.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

It was just past noon when they entered the house on Winslow, and Mia—cutting a maple tree out of a magazine ad with an X-Acto knife—looked up in alarm as they entered the kitchen.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng