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noun Very common

made

mayd
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Made (noun) means (dialectal, archaic) A maggot or grub. Example: “The old farmer complained the meat was crawling with made.”

noun
1
(dialectal, archaic) A maggot or grub.
"The old farmer complained the meat was crawling with made."
"The cook threw out the bread when she found made in the flour."
"Rotten fruit left in the barn soon swarmed with made."

How to use made

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old dialect word for a maggot; almost never used today outside historical or dialect writing.

Common mistake

Don't confuse this archaic noun with the common past tense/participle of "make" (as in "made a decision") — they are completely unrelated words that just happen to be spelled the same.

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Word forms

Plural
mades
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The old farmer complained the meat was crawling with _____.

Etymology

From Middle English mathe, from Old English maþa ("maggot, worm"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning grub or caterpillar — the same root behind the modern word maggot.

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

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maggot grub larva worm

Related words

food drunk weed chuck eats bum insect worm

Rhymes for made

Ade jade wade fade sade Bade Cade Dade trade blade spade shade
See all rhymes for made →

Frequently asked questions

What does “made” mean?
The word “made” means (dialectal, archaic) A maggot or grub. In plain terms, an old dialect word for a maggot; almost never used today outside historical or dialect writing.
How do you pronounce “made”?
“Made” is pronounced mayd (/meɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “made” in a sentence?
Here is “made” used in a sentence: “The old farmer complained the meat was crawling with made.”
What part of speech is “made”?
“Made” is a noun.
Where does the word “made” come from?
The word “made” comes from Old English. From Middle English mathe, from Old English maþa ("maggot, worm"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning grub or caterpillar — the same root behind the modern word maggot.
Is “made” a common word?
“Made” is a very common word in modern English.
What does 'made' mean as a noun?
As a noun, made is an old dialectal word for a maggot or grub — the soft, legless larva of a fly or similar insect. It is largely archaic now and survives only in some regional dialects. It is unrelated to the common verb 'made,' the past tense of 'make.'
Is this 'made' the same as the past tense of 'make'?
No — they are completely separate words that happen to share a spelling. The everyday 'made' is the past tense of 'make' ('she made a cake'). This 'made' is a rare dialectal noun meaning a maggot or grub. Context makes the difference obvious, since the noun is seldom seen today.
What is the difference between a 'made' and a maggot?
Practically none — made is simply an old regional name for a maggot or grub. Maggot is the standard modern word, while made lingers only in dialect and older texts. If you come across made in this sense, read it as a maggot: a fly's soft, worm-like larva.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing made in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

Filipinos' love for rags-to-riches underdog stories and big personalities have also made boxing and beauty pageants just as popular.
From BBC · Jul 25, 2026

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