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Definition of potato

potato

/pəˈteɪtoʊ/
po · ta · to
Plural:potatoes
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potato Lexical Profile

potato Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A starchy plant tuber that is one of the most important food crops worldwide, typically eaten cooked as a vegetable.

Example

"She prepared a roasted chicken with a side of creamy mashed potatoes."

2

The plant of the nightshade family (Solanum tuberosum) that produces starchy edible tubers, native to the South American Andes.

Example

"The farmer planted rows of potatoes early in the spring, hoping for a bountiful harvest before the first frost."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for potato

• Rhymes for potato

• Nearby Words

pot
pot pie
pot roast
potato
potato chip
potato salad
potentilla

Word Origin & Etymology

From Spanish 'patata', which was a fusion of the Taino word 'batata' (sweet potato) and the Quechua word 'papa' (potato). The English word originally referred to the sweet potato before shifting predominantly to the Andean white tuber (Solanum tuberosum).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Potato. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/potato
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