cassava

noun

cas·​sa·​va kə-ˈsä-və 

: any of several American plants (genus Manihot, especially M. esculenta) of the spurge family grown in the tropics for their edible tuberous roots which yield a nutritious starch

also : the root

called also mandioca, manioc, yuca, yucca

compare tapioca sense 1

Note: Since raw cassava contains glycosides which release cyanide when crushed, the leaves and roots must be soaked, cooked, or fermented before consumption to prevent poisoning.

Examples of cassava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To be clear, both kinds of flour are made from the root of the cassava plant, but tapioca flour is made only from the starchy part of the vegetable, while cassava flour uses the whole root. —Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024

This starch is extracted from the roots of cassava plants. —Samantha Lauriello, Health, 8 Apr. 2024

This Certified Gluten-Free pick is made from a grain-free blend featuring cassava flour and coconut flour. —Good Housekeeping, 28 June 2023

Best Churro Strips Simple, wholesome ingredients like cassava flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean powder combine to create this better-for-you twist on a classic sweet treat. —Good Housekeeping, 20 June 2023

Field Notes An ayurvedic breakfast of cassava mash, salad and squash and pumpkin seeds with a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. —Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

In his Bombay masala cassava, his baked eggs with tadka greens (the sort of nourishing dish that would drown a cold), and his chaat-style loaded twice-baked potatoes, a recipe which draws from Mumbai’s carnivalesque street food traditions. —Meher Mirza, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023

His recipe suggests cassava, carrots, sweet potatoes and turnips. —G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023

How else to describe the chef-y breakfast burritos (available on a cassava tortilla) and iced dirty chai that seem to cure everything? —Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Spanish cazabe cassava bread, from Taino caçábi

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cassava

noun

cas·​sa·​va kə-ˈsäv-ə 

: any of several tropical plants with a fleshy root that yields a nourishing starch

also : the root or its starch compare tapioca