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 association has also been developing ready-to-serve products using local fish, such as fish cakes and sweet potato pollock soup, which schools can buy at a discount thanks to a state program that gives partial reimbursements for local food purchases. —Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 May 2026

Dishes of ceviche limeño with corvina, Leche de Tigre, sweet potato and cilantro, and the Nuna Roll with tuna, acevichado sauce, avocado, and crispy shrimp pair well with the al fresco atmosphere on the hotel's terrace. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 May 2026

The menu changes with the seasons, but expect creative dishes like Sticky Miso Short Ribs with sweet potato-goat cheese latkes and Portuguese Octopus with almond puree and black garlic aioli. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 18 May 2026

Chocolate and sweet potato batters are swirled together to make this moist, tender spice cake. —Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sweet potato

• adagio
• altiplano
• arapaho
• arapahoe
• fortissimo
• manifesto
• 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