yucca

noun

yuc·ca | \ ˈyə-kə

Definition of yucca

1 : any of a genus (Yucca) of sometimes arborescent plants of the agave family that occur in warm regions chiefly of western North America and have long sword-shaped often stiff fibrous-margined leaves on a usually woody base and bear a large panicle of white blossoms

2 : cassava

Examples of yucca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At 3 ½ inches long, the tool consists of a wooden skunkbush sumac handle, bound with split yucca leaves. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The United States' Oldest Tattoo Needle Is an Inked-Up Cactus Spine," 28 Feb. 2019 The trail is wide and plush with saguaros, cholla, ocotillo, creosote, yucca and granite boulders. — Sonja Haller, azcentral, "Ultimate Scottsdale, Arizona, bucket list: Top 25 things to do," 9 Feb. 2015 The menu includes a half-dozen platos, or large plates, which range from yucca gnocchi to Puerto Rican plantain mash stuffed with garlic shrimp. — BostonGlobe.com, "Where to eat in Greater Boston," 15 June 2018 Next is an alcapurria, a long, dark-brown oblong cylinder of green plantain and taro root (although the best and rarest ones are made with yucca) that’s stuffed with ground beef or crabmeat. — Laia Garcia, Bon Appetit, "Home Is Where the Manteca Is: A Visit to Piñones in Puerto Rico," 6 June 2018 Miscellaneous: Lawn grass, cactus, yucca, bamboo, ornamental grass. — Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, "The deer-proof plants you should plant this spring," 11 May 2018 In some areas, graves without tombstones are surrounded by clusters of spiky yucca leaves, often used by African Americans to mark a burial spot, Romero said. — Melanie Burney, Philly.com, "South Jersey cemetery for black Civil War veterans has fallen into disrepair; historic site is on endangered list," 4 May 2018 For more ambitious eaters, the menu includes a half dozen platos, or large plates, which range from yucca gnocchi with sauteed mushrooms ($22) to Puerto Rican plantain mash stuffed with garlic shrimp ($28). — Coco Mccabe And Doug Stewart, BostonGlobe.com, "Casa B is a worthy find in Somerville’s Union Square," 21 Apr. 2018 The landscape lay dry and flat, nearly featureless but for low rabbitbrush and soapweed yucca. — Caroline Lester, The Atlantic, "What Happens When Your Bomb-Defusing Robot Becomes a Weapon," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yucca.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.