camas
camas Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A North American plant of the lily family (genus Camassia), native to western North America and characterized by tall racemes of star-shaped blue or violet flowers.
"In the spring, the marshy meadows of the Pacific Northwest transform into a sea of blue when the camas blooms."
North American The sweet, starchy bulb of the camas plant, historically pit-roasted and consumed as a vital staple food by Native American peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
"The indigenous tribes gathered camas in late summer, slowly roasting the bulbs in large earth ovens to convert their complex carbohydrates into digestible sugars."
Word Origin & Etymology
From Chinook Jargon 'kamas', derived from Nootka 'chamas', meaning 'sweet', referring to the taste of the roasted bulb.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.