Illustration of rice
: the starchy seeds of an annual southeast Asian cereal grass (Oryza sativa) that are cooked and used for food
also
: this cereal grass that is widely cultivated in warm climates for its seeds and by-products compare wild rice
riced; ricing; rices
: to finely chop or process (a food) so that it resembles rice
riced cauliflower
Grilled calamari is served over riced potatoes that melt in the mouth—
Mitch Frank
Mitch FrankRicing the spuds with the butter and cream, rather than mashing them, makes them light and airy, and gives you a completely different experience.—Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi
rest, ice, compression, elevation
Examples of rice in a Sentence
Noun
Rice is the main crop of the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Though conditions are more acute in Myanmar due to the civil war, experts warn the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz could also dent rice production across the region – with potentially huge shocks for food security.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Six Ojibwe nations are located in Wisconsin and tribal members still practice ricing every year.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rice
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food every Sunday afternoon needs.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Though conditions are more acute in Myanmar due to the civil war, experts warn the chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz could also dent rice production across the region – with potentially huge shocks for food security.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Verb
Bangkok’s heat is unkind to rice the cornerstone of Edomae.
—Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Six Ojibwe nations are located in Wisconsin and tribal members still practice ricing every year.
—Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rice
Cite this Entry
“Rice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rice. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rice
noun1
: a southeast Asian grass widely grown in warm wet areas especially for its seeds which are used for food
2
: the seeds of rice
Biographical Definition
Rice
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Elmer Leopold 1892–1967 originally Elmer Reizenstein American dramatist
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
