a. A small Eurasian tree, Acer campestre (family Aceraceae), which has five-lobed palmate leaves and occurs commonly in hedgerows (more fully common maple, field maple, or hedge maple). Also (frequently with distinguishing word): any of the numerous trees and shrubs of the genus Acer, chiefly native to north temperate regions, with palmately lobed, entire, or occasionally pinnate leaves, and fruit in the form of a pair of winged samaras joined together, many of which are grown for shade or ornament, for timber, or for syrup. Cf. maple tree n.

b. Any of several trees of other families resembling the true maples or yielding timber similar to that of a maple. Usually with distinguishing word. Cf. maple n.²Queensland maple: see Queensland n. 1a.

a. The wood of any of these trees; (also) wood resembling that of a maple.bird's-eye, curled, mottled, Russian maple: see the first element.

b. The light-brown colour of maple wood.

maple block n.

maple forest n.

maple grove n.

maple log n.

maple timber n.

† maple warre n. [see warre n.] Obsolete

maple wood n.

maple beer n. North American an alcoholic drink made from maple sap.

† maple biscuit n. Obsolete rare (perhaps) a biscuit or sweetmeat made with maple sugar.

maple-borer n. any of several insects whose larvae bore into the wood of maples; cf. sugar-maple borer n. at sugar maple n. Compounds.

maple bush n. (a) a shrubby maple tree; esp. the mountain maple, Acer spicatum; (b) North American an orchard or grove of sugar maples.

maple butter n. North American (a) = maple cream at Compounds 2; (b) a spread made by blending butter with maple sugar or maple syrup.

maple candy n. North American maple sugar; a sweet made from this.

maple cream n. North American a spread made by heating maple syrup, then rapidly cooling it while stirring until it acquires a creamy consistency.

maple disease n. now rare a fungal leaf spot disease affecting certain maples.

maple dish n. a dish made of maple (in quots., used as a begging bowl).

maple eye n. rare (in graining) an eye-shaped mark similar to those found in maple wood.

† maple face n. Obsolete a spotted face.

† maple-faced adj. Obsolete having a spotty face.

† maple grey n. Obsolete rare a kind of grey field pea.

maple honey n. U.S. maple syrup, esp. when evaporated until it begins to crystallize.

maple key n. [ < maple n.¹ + key n.¹ 13] the fruit of a maple.

maple-knob n. a variety of timber obtained from an excrescence on a maple.

maple molasses n. North American = maple syrup n.

† maple rouncival pea n. Obsolete a variety of rouncival pea (see rouncival n. 1.), perhaps one with speckled seeds; also maple rouncival.

maple sap n. North American the sap of a maple, esp. that from which maple syrup is made.

maple sugar n. North American the sugar obtained by evaporation from the sap of certain maples, esp. the sugar maple.

maple sugaring n. North American the process of gathering maple sap to make into maple sugar.

maple sugar urine disease n. Medicine rare = maple syrup urine disease n.

maple-sugary n. North American (now rare) (a) a grove of sugar maples; (b) a factory where maple sap is processed into syrup and sugar.

maple swamp n. a swamp in which maple is the predominant tree.

maple syrup n. a syrup obtained by evaporating maple sap or dissolving maple sugar.

maple syrup disease n. Medicine = maple syrup urine disease n.

maple-syruping n. North American the harvesting of maple syrup.

maple syrup urine disease n. Medicine a metabolic disorder leading in its most severe form to psychomotor retardation and early death, in which the urine has a characteristic odour of maple syrup due to the presence of the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine, and some of their metabolites.

maple wax n. North American maple syrup that has been boiled down and then cooled rapidly by pouring on to snow; also called jack wax.

maple worm n. U.S. the larva of a North American moth, Dryocampa rubicunda (family Saturniidae), which feeds on the foliage of maple and oak; the moth itself.