rice-field

Definition

Noun: A "rice-field" is a tract of land where rice is cultivated, typically flooded with water for part or all of the growing season.

Usage Examples
  • (A specific area of land used for growing rice.)
  • (The field is deliberately covered with water to support rice cultivation.)
  • (The field is a distinct agricultural plot.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to work in the rice-field": to be engaged in the labour of growing rice.

    • Many families in the region work in the rice-field from dawn to dusk. (They cultivate rice as their primary occupation.)

  • "to flood a rice-field": to intentionally cover the field with water for rice cultivation.

    • The irrigation system allows farmers to flood the rice-field efficiently. (Water is supplied to the field to maintain the necessary conditions for rice.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Rice-paddy (n): another term for a rice-field, especially a flooded field used for growing rice in East and Southeast Asia.

    • The terraced rice-paddies of Bali are famous for their beauty. (A rice-paddy is a type of rice-field, often with a specific cultural or regional connotation.)

  • Paddy (n): a shorter form of "rice-paddy," meaning a rice-field.

    • The paddy was ready for harvest. (The field of rice is mature and ready to be cut.)

  • Rice-swamp (n): a less common term for a rice-field, emphasizing the flooded, swamp-like conditions.

    • The rice-swamp was teeming with wildlife. (The field is wet and marshy, supporting both rice and other organisms.)
Synonyms

  • Paddy field: a synonym for rice-field, especially in agricultural contexts.

    • The paddy field stretched for miles. (A large area of land devoted to rice cultivation.)

  • Rice paddy: a direct synonym, often used interchangeably with "rice-field."

    • They own several rice paddies in the valley. (Multiple fields used for growing rice.)
Related Idioms

  • "As common as a rice-field": a figurative expression meaning something very ordinary or widespread in a region where rice farming is prevalent.

    • In this province, small shops are as common as a rice-field. (They are abundant and unremarkable.)

  • "To plant a rice-field": a literal idiom meaning to begin the cultivation process.

    • They planted the rice-field in late spring. (They started the growing cycle by sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings.)