rice

¹ American  

[rahys] / raɪs /

noun

1. the starchy seeds or grain of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, cultivated in warm climates and used for food.

2. the grass itself.

3. a food that is chopped or otherwise processed to resemble rice (used in combination): sweet potato rice.

   cauliflower rice;

   sweet potato rice.

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verb (used with object)

riced, ricing

1. to reduce to a form resembling rice.

   to rice potatoes.

Rice ² American  

[rahys] / raɪs /

noun

1. Anne, 1941–2021, U.S. novelist.

2. Dan Daniel McLaren, 1823–1900, U.S. circus clown, circus owner, and Union patriot.

3. Elmer, 1892–1967, U.S. playwright.

4. Jerry Lee, born 1962, U.S. football player.

5. Grantland 1880–1954, U.S. journalist.

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rice ¹ British  

/ raɪs /

noun

1. an erect grass, Oryza sativa , that grows in East Asia on wet ground and has drooping flower spikes and yellow oblong edible grains that become white when polished

2. the grain of this plant

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verb

1. (tr) to sieve (potatoes or other vegetables) to a coarse mashed consistency, esp with a ricer

RICE ² British  

/ raɪs /

acronym

1. rest, ice, compression, elevation: the recommended procedure for controlling inflammation in injured limbs or joints

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Rice ³ British  

/ raɪs /

noun

1. Elmer , original name Elmer Reizenstein . 1892–1967, US dramatist. His plays include The Adding Machine (1923) and Street Scene (1929), which was made into a musical by Kurt Weill in 1947

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Etymology

Origin of rice

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ris, rys, from Old French, from Italian riso, risi (in Medieval Latin risium ), from Medieval Greek orýzion, derivative of Greek óryza, from an Iranian language, e.g., Old Persian brizi, Pashto vrižē; akin to Sanskrit vrīhi-, perhaps ultimately of Dravidian origin

Explanation

Rice is a kind of plant, as well as the grain that comes from it. At some Chinese restaurants, you get a choice between white rice and brown rice. White rice is processed or "polished," so the outer germ is removed — it's a staple of Chinese and Indian cuisine, among others. There are many varieties of rice, defined by the color and length of the individual grain. When rice is a verb, it means "force through a sieve," or in other words, to take something like a potato and make it look like rice. We can trace the origin of rice back to the Sanskrit vrihi-s.

Example Sentences

But some entrepreneurs have also identified business opportunities, including food sellers who offer hungry drivers bread and bananas, or more elaborate meals of spicy biryani rice.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Smriti Irani, a BJP leader campaigning in Bengal, called the claim "a lie", insisting that "Bengal and fish and rice are a part of its culture which will never end".

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Spices in particular have been a standout performer in supermarkets’ center aisles that are replete with packaged items like cereal, rice and soup.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Eventually, I landed on serving it over rice, a small move that made the whole thing feel like a bowl you could actually build a night around.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

She was awake but did not want the fish I brought her or any of the meat the plane had dropped or the rice and blueberry cakes I had stored away for myself.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• bran
• corn
• grain
• wheat