Meaning

noun tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

noun a strong yellow color

originBorrowed from Spanish maíz, from Taíno *mahis, *mahisi, from Proto-Arawak *marikɨ. Cognate with Lokono marisi, Wayuu maiki.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0