\Ma"ple\, n. [AS. mapolder, mapulder, mapol; akin to Icel.
m["o]purr; cf. OHG. mazzaltra, mazzoltra, G. massholder.]
(Bot.)
A tree of the genus {Acer}, including about fifty species.
{A. saccharinum} is the rock maple, or sugar maple, from the
sap of which sugar is made, in the United States, in great
quantities, by evaporation; the red or swamp maple is {A.
rubrum}; the silver maple, {A. dasycarpum}, having fruit
wooly when young; the striped maple, {A. Pennsylvanium},
called also {moosewood}. The common maple of Europe is {A.
campestre}, the sycamore maple is {A. Pseudo-platanus}, and
the Norway maple is {A. platanoides}.
Note: Maple is much used adjectively, or as the first part of
      a compound; as, maple tree, maple leaf, etc.
{Bird's-eye maple}, {Curled maple}, varieties of the wood of
   the rock maple, in which a beautiful lustrous grain is
   produced by the sinuous course of the fibers.
{Maple honey}, {Maple molasses}, or {Maple sirup}, maple sap
   boiled to the consistency of molasses.
{Maple sugar}, sugar obtained from the sap of the sugar maple
   by evaporation.