potato

noun

po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō 

-tə,

 dialectal  pə-ˈdā-,

bə- 

plural potatoes

often attributive

1

: sweet potato

2

a

: an erect South American herb (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family widely cultivated for its edible starchy tuber

b

: the tuber of a potato

called also Irish potato, spud, white potato

Illustration of potato

• potato 2a

Examples of potato in a Sentence

She's growing carrots and potatoes in her garden this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

The set comes with six bowls that hold up to 30 ounces each, plenty of room for a sprawling feast of meat, potatoes, and all the fixings. —Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025

At Stubborn Seed, they’re lightly grilled over charcoal and served with a potato foam infused with garlic and dill oil. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025

And, of course, a menu lineup of steaks, seafood, chops, potatoes and maybe even broasted chicken. —Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025

At its base is tarama—cod roe with a deep, salty sea flavor—which gets blended with bread or potatoes. —Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish batata, from Taino

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing potato

• Colorado potato beetle
• couch potato
• fingerling potato
• hot potato
• Irish potato
• jacket potato
• mouse potato
• new potato
• potato beetle
• potato blight
• potato bug
• potato chip
• potato crisp
• potato leafhopper
• potato pancake
• potato tuberworm
• seed potato
• small potato
• sweet potato
• white potato

Rhymes for potato

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

potato

noun

po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtāt-ō  pət-ˈāt- 

plural potatoes

1

: sweet potato sense 1

2

a

: an erect South American herb widely cultivated for its thick starchy edible underground tubers

b

: one of these edible tubers

called also Irish potato, spud, white potato