Mapel

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling of the maple, a tree with broad lobed leaves and a sweet sap that is often tapped for syrup
2. An old form of the name for a deciduous tree of the genus Acer, known for its distinctive leaves and sugary sap
3. A former spelling referring to the broad-leaved tree whose sap is commonly boiled down into sweet syrup

Etymology: "Mapel" is a variant spelling of "maple," the name of the tree whose sap is boiled down into syrup and whose wood gives us the familiar pale timber of furniture and flooring. The spelling with the final "e" preserves an older form of the word, and it is simply the same name written another way, with no separate meaning attached.