variants or less commonly oka
: either of two South American wood sorrels (Oxalis crenata and O. tuberosa) cultivated for their edible tubers
also : the tuber of an oca

Examples of oca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were cacao pods of all sizes; a rainbow assortment of potatoes and other knobby tubers, including oca, olluco and mashua; herbs, fruits and grains from the Andes and the Amazon; and fresh seafood from Southern California, including gorgeous sea urchin from diver Stephanie Mutz. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2023 The site, as well as Nichols, also offered a tuber known as oca. Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oca.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Quechua oqa

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oca was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near oca

Cite this Entry

“Oca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oca. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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