稻 refers specifically to the rice plant itself (Oryza sativa) or the unhusked grain, not the milled rice (米) or cooked rice (饭). This distinction is important because English 'rice' covers all three, but in Chinese you must pick the right word depending on whether you mean the plant in the field, the raw grain, or the food on your plate. You'll see this word in agricultural, botanical, or economic contexts, not at the dinner table.