cassava

American  

[kuh-sah-vuh] / kəˈsɑ və /

noun

1. any of several tropical American plants belonging to the genus Manihot, of the spurge family, as M. esculenta bitter cassava and M. dulcis sweet cassava, cultivated for their tuberous roots, which yield important food products.

2. a nutritious starch from the roots, the source of tapioca.

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cassava British  

/ kəˈsɑːvə /

noun

1. Also called: manioc.  any tropical euphorbiaceous plant of the genus Manihot, esp the widely cultivated American species M. esculenta (or utilissima ) ( bitter cassava ) and M. dulcis ( sweet cassava )

2. a starch derived from the root of this plant: an important food in the tropics and a source of tapioca

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Etymology

Origin of cassava

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish cazabe “cassava bread or meal,” from Taíno caçábi

Example Sentences

An investigation by Consumer Reports found elevated lead levels in some bubble tea products sold in the United States, raising concerns similar to past warnings about cassava based foods.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

The team focused on bananas, cassava, and cocoa pulp cultivated in soil affected by the disaster.

From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026

Sebashitsi recalls how his 25-year-old neighbor, Samuel Mukanda, defied a rebel order to vacate his 5-acre potato and cassava farm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Raimundo Barbosa, who farms cassava and fruit near the town of Boa Esperança outside Santarém in the southeastern Amazon, says when the forest is cleared "the environment is destroyed".

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025

I asked Dr. Tamba if he knew where we could get some rice and fish stew in palm oil, some cassava leaves or okra soup.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah