potato

noun

po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tō 

-tə,

 dialectal  pə-ˈdā-,

bə- 

plural potatoes

often attributive

1

: sweet potato

2

a

: an erect South American herb (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family widely cultivated for its edible starchy tuber

b

: the tuber of a potato

called also Irish potato, spud, white potato

Illustration of potato

• potato 2a

Examples of potato in a Sentence

She's growing carrots and potatoes in her garden this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, food lovers and die-hard potato fans can take their obsession to the next level by spending the night inside one. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2025

Go for the classics like hotdogs and burgers, or try less-traditional options like cooking baked potatoes in tin foil or making a big batch of taco meat over the fire and serving up nachos or tacos. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2025

This classic potato casserole is always welcome at our parties. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 11 July 2025

Great options include mashed potatoes, egg noodles, rice, couscous, quinoa and/or your favorite grain. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish batata, from Taino

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing potato

• Colorado potato beetle
• couch potato
• fingerling potato
• hot potato
• Irish potato
• jacket potato
• mouse potato
• new potato
• potato beetle
• potato blight
• potato bug
• potato chip
• potato crisp
• potato leafhopper
• potato pancake
• potato tuberworm
• seed potato
• small potato
• sweet potato
• white potato

Rhymes for potato

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

potato

noun

po·​ta·​to pə-ˈtāt-ō  pət-ˈāt- 

plural potatoes

1

: sweet potato sense 1

2

a

: an erect South American herb widely cultivated for its thick starchy edible underground tubers

b

: one of these edible tubers

called also Irish potato, spud, white potato