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potato

noun

po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce potato (audio)
-tə
dialectal pə-ˈdā-
bə- How to pronounce potato (audio)
plural potatoes
often attributive
1
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Tuck into savory lefse potato crepes and bite-sized ebelskiver pancake balls for breakfast, or opt for more brunch-y fish boards and Swedish meatballs. Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025 Imagine the mashed potatoes this could fit… Love a baker? Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025 Subsequent images showed all of the food on offer in the Lopez household, including multiple sweet pies, potato salad, rice dishes and more. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025 In the post, the Reddit user described how their grandmother had purchased a $130 pre-cooked Thanksgiving meal from a grocery store that included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, candied yams, and two pies. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for potato

Word History

Etymology

Spanish batata, from Taino

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of potato was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Potato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potato. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

potato

noun
po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtāt-ō How to pronounce potato (audio) pət-ˈāt- How to pronounce potato (audio)
plural potatoes
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

More from Merriam-Webster on potato

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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