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potato

noun, often attributive po·ta·to \ pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō , -tə , dialectal pə-ˈdā- , bə- \
|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Definition of potato

plural potatoes
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

See potato defined for English-language learners

See potato defined for kids

Examples of potato in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of potato from the Web

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

Illustration of potato

illustration of potato

Origin and Etymology of potato

Spanish batata, from Taino

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Phrases Related to POTATO

Related Phrases

POTATO Defined for Kids

potato

noun po·ta·to \ pə-ˈtā-tō \

Definition of potato for Students

plural potatoes
: the thick edible usually rounded underground tuber of a widely grown South American plant that is eaten as a vegetable

Learn More about potato

  1. See words that rhyme with potato Spanish Central: Translation of potato Nglish: Translation of potato for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of potato for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about potato

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