yucca
yucca Lexical Profile
yucca Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A perennial plant, shrub, or tree of the genus Yucca, native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, characterized by rosettes of stiff, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers.
"The landscaper planted several yuccas in the front yard to create a drought-tolerant, desert-style garden."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with 'yuca' (spelled with a single 'c'), which is another name for cassava, an edible starchy root vegetable, whereas 'yucca' generally refers to the ornamental desert plant.
• Rhymes for yucca
Word Origin & Etymology
Late 16th century: from Spanish 'yuca', which originally derived from the Taino word for the cassava plant. It was mistakenly applied to this genus of desert plants by English herbalist John Gerard.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.