Meaning
Any member of any species of genus Acer, characterized by (usually) palmate, five-lobed leaves and winged seeds, and often grown for syrup or wood
Etymology
Origin: Old English
The noun is derived from Middle English mapel (“tree of species Acer campestre, sole native maple of the British Isles); wood of such a tree; artistic representation of a maple leaf; a beam, pole, stake (?)”), from Old English *mapul (attested in mapulder (“maple tree”), mapultrēow (“maple tree”), etc.), from Proto-West Germanic *mapul (“maple tree”), from Proto-Germanic *mapulaz; further etymology uncertain, possibly from *masuraz (“type of wood with spots or veins, such as maple or walnut”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mos- (“skin sore”)) + *aplaz (“apple; fruit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ébōl (“apple; apple tree”)). The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. cognates * Dutch meppel (dialectal) * Old English mæsen (“maple”) * Middle Low German mapeldorn * Old High German mazaltra, mazzaltra (modern German Masseller, Maßholder; Mase (“scar”), Maser (“knob; offshoot; measle, speck”)) * Old Norse mǫpurr, mǫsurr (“maple”) * Old Saxon mapulder
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 3 recorded puzzles: