potato

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The English word potato comes from the Spanish patata.

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Definitions (38)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A South American plant (Solanum tuberosum) widely cultivated for its starchy edible tubers.
  2. noun A tuber of this plant.
  3. noun A sweet potato. See Regional Note at possum.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (32)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • That a certain kind of potato, a certain kind of drug, a sativa-indica-cannabis cross has something to say about us. —  Michael Pollan gives a plant's-eye view
  • The steak tasted of tenderizer, but the potato was the best he had ever eaten By the time Qwilleran drove home, the fog had burned off in the valley, but halfway up Hawk's Nest Drive it closed in like a white blanket, and he reduced his speed. —  Braun_lilian_Jackson_13_The_Cat_Who_Moved_a_Mountain
  • Everyone can agree without discussion that a potato is an edible tuber. —  Estellas Revenge - A 'zine about books!
  • Taking advantage of the potato is a delicious way to eat with pennies on the dollar. —  TreeHugger
  • He eats chips and wedges - not 'potato' - if he knows it's potato, he wont eat it. —  Yahoo! Answers: Latest Questions
 

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Spanish patata, alteration (probably influenced by Quechua papa, white potato) of Taino batata, sweet potato.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Early modern English also potatoe, pottatoe, potatus, potades (quasi New Latin); also botatas = German potate, sweet potato, = Danish potet, potetes = Swedish potät, potates, potatis, white potato (from English); = French patate, sweet potato (cf. pomme de terre, ‘earth-apple,’ white potato), from Spanish patata, white potato, batata, sweet potato, = Portuguese batata, sweet potato (New Latin batatas), from Haytian batata, sweet potato.
 

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/pəˈteɪtoʊ/
by American Heritage

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