kennebec
kennebec Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A widely grown, fast-maturing variety of large white potato with thin skin, highly favored for making potato chips and French fries due to its low moisture and high starch content.
"The chef specifically requested Kennebec potatoes for the restaurant's signature hand-cut fries."
American A major river in the northeastern United States that flows southward through the state of Maine into the Atlantic Ocean.
"During the colonial era, the Kennebec River served as a vital transportation route for the timber industry in Maine."
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Eastern Abenaki word 'kíni-pèkw', meaning 'large body of still water' or 'large bay', which originally named the river in Maine. The potato variety was introduced by the USDA in 1948 and named after the river.