yam

noun

ˈyam 

1

: the edible starchy tuberous root of various plants (genus Dioscorea of the family Dioscoreaceae) used as a staple food in tropical areas

also : a plant producing yams

2

: a moist usually orange-fleshed sweet potato

Examples of yam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mulberry leaf and mountain yam extracts soften and nourish, while the silky oil-to-milk texture leaves skin feeling clean but not tight. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 12 Dec. 2025

True yams are not the same thing as sweet potatoes. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 11 Dec. 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

For example, a purchase of brown sugar and yams comes with a free package of Kraft mini marshmallows. —Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier iname, from Portuguese inhame & Spanish ñame, of African origin; akin to Fulani nyami to eat

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for yam

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

yam

noun

ˈyam 

1

: an edible starchy root that is an important food in tropical areas

also : a plant producing yams

2

: a sweet potato with moist usually orange flesh