yam
yam Lexical Profile
yam Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A moist, sweet variety of sweet potato with dark orange flesh, often served baked or candied during holidays.
"She prepared a casserole of candied yams topped with marshmallows for Thanksgiving dinner."
The edible, starchy tuber of a climbing plant (genus Dioscorea) that is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for food.
"We pounded the boiled yam into a smooth, thick paste to serve alongside the spicy soup."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the United States and Canada, 'yam' is commonly used to refer to a soft, orange-fleshed sweet potato, whereas a true botanical yam is a starchier, drier tuber from an entirely different plant family native to Africa and Asia.
• Rhymes for yam
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the late 16th century from Portuguese 'inhame' or Spanish 'ñame', ultimately deriving from a West African language root, such as the Fulani 'nyami', meaning 'to eat'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.