English Explanatory Dictionary

yam

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated.
  2. The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food.
  3. A sweet potato; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas.
  4. A potato.
  5. An oca; a tuber from the species Oxalis tuberosa.
  6. Taro.
  7. An orange-brown colour, like the flesh of the yam.
noun
  1. Home.
verb
  1. Pronunciation spelling of am.
verb
  1. To eat.
verb
  1. To dunk on; to beat humiliatingly.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

yăm /jæm/ en-us-yam.ogg

Word forms

yam yams yamming yammed

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese inhame and Spanish ñame, likely from Wolof ñàmbi (“cassava”) or a related word. The term was spelled yam as early as 1657.

Related words

danger yam tom yam yam plan yam slam yam yam

Derived words

aerial yam air yam afoo yam betel yam bitter yam cheeky yam Chinese yam common yam cush-cush yam elephant foot yam elephant yam fiveleaf yam Foochow yam fourleaf yam garnet yam greater yam Indian three-leaf yam Indian yam intoxicating yam Japanese mountain yam Japanese yam jewel yam lesser yam Mexican yam mountain yam negro yam New Zealand yam Okinawan yam parsnip yam potato yam pounded yam purple yam seven-lobed yam thorny yam toco for yam tropical yam true yam water yam white yam wild yam winged yam yam bean yamberry yam cake yam daisy yamless yamlike yampee yam stick yellow yam
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