cassava

noun

cas·sa·va | \ kə-ˈsä-və

Definition of cassava

: any of several American plants (genus Manihot, especially M. esculenta) of the spurge family grown in the tropics for their edible tuberous roots which yield a nutritious starch also : the root — compare tapioca sense 1

Note: Since raw cassava contains glycosides which release cyanide when crushed, the leaves and roots must be soaked, cooked, or fermented before consumption to prevent poisoning.

Examples of cassava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Amazon rainforest of Venezuela, Yanomami hunter-gatherers subsist on cassava, palm hearts and wild banana. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "Scientists Race to Preserve the Biodiversity Inside Our Bodies," 30 June 2019 This suggests they were used mainly on seeds (possibly from cassava) smaller than the cashews which today’s monkeys pound, meaning hammerstone and anvil often came into contact with one another. — The Economist, "Capuchin monkeys have been using stone tools for around 3,000 years," 27 June 2019 Bubble tea pearls, or boba pearls, are usually made out of tapioca, a starch extracted from the roots of cassava plants. — Samantha Lauriello, Health.com, "Are Bubble Tea Pearls Safe? We Asked a Doctor for the Facts," 13 June 2019 Try the local cassava root, which sustained Viet Cong soldiers for years, and emerge from the bunkers to enjoy a traditional lunch by the river. — National Geographic, "Southeast Asia Family Journey: Vietnam to Cambodia," 12 June 2019 Trader Joe's claims their product contains about 75% cauliflower, as well as cassava flour, potato starch, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Cauliflower Gnocchi Is the Low-Carb Dinner Pasta Lovers Need to Try," 8 May 2019 Final mutiny came in the form of a universal complaint that all the cassava was making everyone’s mouths feel coated and sticky. — Tamar Adler, Vogue, "Is Healthy Snack Food Actually Healthy—or Just Addictive?," 18 Jan. 2019 But everyone munched happily away, stuffing down beet and cassava and then stealing one another’s water bottles. — Tamar Adler, Vogue, "Is Healthy Snack Food Actually Healthy—or Just Addictive?," 18 Jan. 2019 Collette Lundi, the mother of one desperately malnourished boy fighting for his life in a hospital, said her husband had been killed by a militia and their house destroyed, leaving the family with nothing to eat but small amounts of cassava. — Nicholas Kristof, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Conflict is more profitable than peace’," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cassava.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.