Illustration of potato
- potato 2a
potato
noun
po·ta·to
pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō 
-tə,
dialectal pə-ˈdā-,
bə-
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
Examples of potato in a Sentence
She's growing carrots and potatoes in her garden this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ingredients like the potato, the tomato, corn, these have traveled across the world and are central to many cuisines, but the contributions of Indigenous peoples of the Americas are often overlooked.
—
J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Trader Joe's Classic Potato Chips Testers were immediately impressed with the potato chip from Trader Joe’s, especially the potato-forward flavor.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
From the back of the kitchen, Pat White, 76, watches her volunteers arrange Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots and salad in assembly line fashion onto white Styrofoam plates for hungry women and children at the Salvation Army Center of Hope.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Halloween grew in popularity in America during the 1840s with the mass migration of Scottish and Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine, Morton said.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potato
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J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Trader Joe's Classic Potato Chips Testers were immediately impressed with the potato chip from Trader Joe’s, especially the potato-forward flavor.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
From the back of the kitchen, Pat White, 76, watches her volunteers arrange Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots and salad in assembly line fashion onto white Styrofoam plates for hungry women and children at the Salvation Army Center of Hope.
—Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Halloween grew in popularity in America during the 1840s with the mass migration of Scottish and Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine, Morton said.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for potato
Cite this Entry
“Potato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potato. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plural potatoes
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
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