English Explanatory Dictionary

kudzu

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An Asian vine (several species in the genus Pueraria, but mostly Pueraria montana var. lobata, syn. Pueraria lobata in the US), grown as a root starch, and which is a notorious invasive weed in the United States.
  2. A starch extracted from the root that is used in traditional East Asian medicine and cuisine.

Pronunciation

ko͝odʹzo͞o /ˈkʊd.zuː/ kŭdʹzo͞o /ˈkʌd.zuː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-kudzu.wav

Word forms

kudzu kudzus kuzu

Etymology

From Japanese 葛(くず) (kuzu). The spelling kudzu (instead of kuzu) is due to the historical transliteration methods of Japanese into English (compare adzuki).

Synonyms

Chinese arrowroot East Asian arrowroot Japanese arrowroot kudzu vine mile-a-minute kudzu powder

Derived words

kudzu bug kudzued kudzu powder kudzu tea
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