rice
[C/U] Both
pl: rices
This word evokes images of vast paddies and staple diets across Asia and Africa. It carries a connotation of sustenance and essentiality, often serving as the neutral foundation for a meal rather than the centerpiece. In cultural contexts, it frequently symbolizes prosperity or fertility, such as in wedding traditions. It is rarely used to describe a luxury item, instead representing the most basic level of food security for billions of people.
Uncountable when referring to the food on a plate or in a pot. Countable when referring to different varieties or species of the plant.