Maple Meaning
/ˈmeɪ.pəl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA tree of the genus Acer, characterised by its usually palmate leaves and winged seeds.
nounWood of such a tree, valued for its hardness and attractive appearance.
Sentence Examples
Looks like the Japanese maple is finally branching.
Tom likes maple syrup on his pancakes.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In autumn, the leaves of the ____ tree turn bright red and orange before falling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ leaves turned a vibrant red in the autumn, creating a beautiful display of colors in the park tonight.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English mapel, from Old English *mapul (attested in mapultrēow and mapulder), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul. See also Old Saxon mapulder, Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra; also Old Norse mǫpurr, Middle Low German mapeldorn, dialectal Dutch meppel, German Masseller, Maßholder; also Old English mæsen (“maple”), Old Norse mǫsurr (“maple”), German Maser (“knob, offshoot”); also German Mase (“scar”), modern Maser (“speck, measle”). More at measles.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"i'm asking these questions for my friend who has mac, and i want him to be able to play maple."
— 2007 February 5, Gold Dust Woman, “The Truth Is Finally Coming Out!!!”, in Anime Otakus (Google Groups), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025:
"Because when i try to play it, there is always a pop-up that tells me that i can't play maple because my window isnt compatible."
— 2007 April 4, Paul Smith, quoting Making my window^([sic]) compatible to games, “Re: Playing Maple Story”, in microsoft.public.windows.vista.games (Usenet), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025:
"free maple hacks"
— 2010 July 13, Erma FIERRO, “FREE HACKS”, in alt.business.home.pc (Usenet), archived from the original on 31 Oct 2025:
"1. Researcher: So you can switch between characters? Switch between dinosaurs and humans? 2. Ken: No. But since you, when gather^([sic]) the DNA, then you can change to the dinosaurs. 3. Weibin: Use it as a mount. Can ride on it… 4. Ken: Maple! / In this excerpt, Weibin in turn #3 suggested another idea of using the dinosaur as a “mount”, a common item in popular online games, such as MapleStory and WOW."
— 2014, Beaumie Kim, Lynde Tan, Seng Chee Tan, “‘Perhaps This Can Be For Education’: […]”, in Michael Orey, Stephanie A. Jones, Robert Maribe Branch, editors, Educational Media and Technology Yearbook, volume 38, Cham: Springer, →ISBN, part I (Trends and Issues in Learning, Design, and Technology), page 36:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In autumn, the leaves of the ____ tree turn bright red and orange before falling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ leaves turned a vibrant red in the autumn, creating a beautiful display of colors in the park tonight.