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Definition of mashed potatoes
mashed potatoes
Plural:mashed potatoes
mashed potatoes Lexical Profile
CEFR
A2
Grade
2
Tier
1
Usage
Top 5k
• noun
1
A dish prepared by boiling and crushing potatoes, typically mixed with milk, butter, and seasonings until smooth.
Example
"We served the roasted turkey with a generous side of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although grammatically plural and traditionally taking a plural verb (e.g., 'The mashed potatoes are ready'), it is conceptually treated as a mass or singular dish. In British English, it is often referred to simply as 'mash'.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed from the past participle of the verb 'mash' (from Old English 'mæscan') and the plural of 'potato' (from Spanish 'patata', via Taino 'batata').
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mashed potatoes. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mashed potatoes