entry
rice
/raɪs/Edible seeds of a cultivated cereal grass
From Sanskrit, transmitted through Iranian, Greek, Latin, and French rice (rice).
from Sanskrit vrihi-s "rice." The Greek word, directly or in indirectly, is the source of the European words for the...
from Latin oriza
from Old French ris
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Sanskrit vrihi-s "rice." The Greek word, directly or in indirectly, is the source of the European words for the...
from Latin oriza
from Old French ris
+1 more sourceLong before rice reached an English dinner table, its name had already crossed a remarkable linguistic landscape: Sanskrit vrīhi-s traveled through Iranian speech into Greek óryza, then Latin oriza, Italian riso, Old French ris, and finally English. That journey mirrors the grain’s own history—Asian rice was domesticated in China perhaps 13,500 years ago, while Arabs later helped introduce it to the Mediterranean. English speakers were eating or discussing “ris” by the mid-13th century; Carolina cultivation followed much later, in 1647. The word also has a look-alike cousin from Old English hrīs, meaning “twig” or “brushwood,” related to German Reis, but that is a separate Germanic word wearing the same modern spelling. So when someone orders pilaf or arroz, they are not merely naming lunch—they are repeating echoes of an ancient grain’s east-to-west voyage.
The Story
Long before rice reached an English dinner table, its name had already crossed a remarkable linguistic landscape: Sanskrit vrīhi-s traveled through Iranian speech into Greek óryza, then Latin oriza, Italian riso, Old French ris, and finally English. That journey mirrors the grain’s own history—Asian rice was domesticated in China perhaps 13,500 years ago, while Arabs later helped introduce it to the Mediterranean. English speakers were eating or discussing “ris” by the mid-13th century; Carolina cultivation followed much later, in 1647. The word also has a look-alike cousin from Old English hrīs, meaning “twig” or “brushwood,” related to German Reis, but that is a separate Germanic word wearing the same modern spelling. So when someone orders pilaf or arroz, they are not merely naming lunch—they are repeating echoes of an ancient grain’s east-to-west voyage.
Modern Usage
In some slang, cocaine; also, to modify a cheap car with flashy styling or performance accessories.
Popularized by: RiFF RAFF (JODY HiGHROLLER)
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entries for “rice”
Kin & Kindred
From 'rice'·rice; edible grain
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia
Wiktionary