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A cereal grass of the genus Zea; specifically maize, Z. mays; the seeds of such a plant collectively. Also (in form Zea): the genus itself.
Mid 16th century (in an earlier sense). From classical Latin zea emmer wheat (Pliny), in post-classical Latin also one-grained wheat from ancient Greek ζειά (in Hellenistic Greek also ζεά) emmer wheat, in Hellenistic Greek also one-grained wheat, probably from the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit yava grain, barley, Avestan yauua grain, Lithuanian javas grain, cereal.