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

Start off the sweet potato tempura ($18), Wang’s clever interpretation of the Cantonese restaurant staple honey walnut shrimp. —Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Mar. 2026

Side items served family-style will include classics like mac and cheese, asparagus and sweet potato souffle. —Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026

Crispy little buttons of sweet potato are lightly seasoned and not too sweet–a must order every time. —Katie Riley, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026

The flavors are very similar, but upon closer examination, there is a small difference in the texture of ube compared to an orange sweet potato. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sweet potato

• adagio
• altiplano
• arapaho
• arapahoe
• manifesto
• medicago
• 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