sweet potato

noun

1

: a tropical vine (Ipomoea batatas) of the morning-glory family that is often grown for its edible tuberous root or for its ornamental variously shaped green to purple leaves and usually white to pinkish funnel-shaped flowers with pink to purple centers

also : the large thick sweet and nutritious tuberous root of the sweet potato that has beige, yellow, orange, red, or purple flesh and is cooked and eaten as a vegetable compare yam sense 2

2

: ocarina

Examples of sweet potato in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The high-end holiday meal includes a 40-ounce bone-in ribeye with a side of sweet potato casserole. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025

Galley Grill on Summerland Key is a local favorite for breakfast and lunch—think strawberry almond French toast, sweet potato and sausage hash, and weekend fresh-catch specials. —Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025

The burgers are made with a blend of real vegetables like sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots, and onions, and come in both a vegan original and a Cheddar Burger version with real cheese. —Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

The first ingredient is the main veggie (broccoli, spinach, or sweet potato), then potatoes, onions, potato flakes, canola oil or sunflower oil, egg whites, arrowroot powder, salt, and garlic. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sweet potato

• adagio
• altiplano
• arapaho
• arapahoe
• manifesto
• medicago
• minangkabau
• oregano
• ostinato
• pistachio
• politico
• portfolio

Kids Definition

sweet potato

noun

1

: a tropical vine related to the morning glories and having variously shaped leaves and purplish flowers

also : its large sweet starchy root that is cooked and eaten as a vegetable

2

: ocarina