Word
rice
Phoneticsrice
US/ˈɹaɪs/
UK/ɹˈaɪs/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. small white or brown grains that come from a grass plant. It is a very common food that you boil in water to eat.
n. the starchy seeds of an annual marsh grass, Oryza sativa, which serve as a primary food staple for a large portion of the world's population.
Examples
“I usually eat rice with my dinner.”
“The chef serves the spicy curry over a bed of steamed white rice to balance the heat.”
“Global agricultural production relies heavily on the cultivation of rice, particularly in regions where monsoon rains provide the necessary irrigation for paddy fields.”
Examples
simple
“I usually eat rice with my dinner.”
contextual
“The chef serves the spicy curry over a bed of steamed white rice to balance the heat.”
complex
“Global agricultural production relies heavily on the cultivation of rice, particularly in regions where monsoon rains provide the necessary irrigation for paddy fields.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the food in general; countable only when referring to specific biological varieties or types.
Etymology
* As a Welsh surname, borrowed from Welsh Rhys, an Anglicization. Compare Reese, Freese, Price, and Preece. * As an English surname, from Old English hris (“brushwood, shrubbery”). * Also as an English surname, from a nickname through Middle English and Anglo-Norman from French ris (“smile, laughter”). * Also as an occupational English surname, from the noun rice. * As as German surname, Americanized from Reis (“shoot, twig”), related to the Old English word above. Compare Ries.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. rice chaser
02. white on rice
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/rice