Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "masara" wata ciyawa ce mai tsayi na shekara-shekara (Zea mays) wadda ake nomawa don manyan kunnuwanta masu tsayi na 'ya'yan sitaci, waɗanda ake amfani da su don abinci, abincin dabbobi, da kuma masana'antu daban-daban. Ana kuma san masara da masara a wasu yankuna. Kalmar masara kuma tana iya nufin tsaba ko kunnuwa na wannan shuka, da kuma launin rawaya mai alaƙa da ita.