arrowroot
arrowroot Lexical Profile
• noun
A fine, easily digestible white starch extracted from the rhizomes of the arrowroot plant, widely used in cooking as a thickening agent for sauces, puddings, and baked goods.
"The pastry chef whisked a spoonful of arrowroot into the simmering berry glaze to give it a clear, glossy finish."
The edible, starchy subterranean rhizome or tuber of the arrowroot plant, eaten boiled or roasted as a root vegetable in tropical regions or processed into flour.
"In several Caribbean cuisines, fresh arrowroot is peeled and boiled just like potatoes or yams."
A perennial tropical herbaceous plant (especially Maranta arundinacea of the family Marantaceae), native to the Americas and West Indies, having large ovate leaves and fleshy underground rhizomes.
"Arrowroot thrives in warm, humid climates with well-drained soil and partial shade."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 17th century by folk etymology from the Arawak word 'aru-aru' ('meal of meals'), influenced by the indigenous Caribbean practice of using the plant's mashed tubers as a poultice to draw poison from wounds caused by poisoned arrows.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.