yam
noun
the starchy, tuberous root of any of various climbing vines of the genus Dioscorea, cultivated for food in warm regions.
yams
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pluralof yam.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Issa was just 6 years old then, his family raising goats and farming yams in Perma, 270 miles north of Cotonou, the country’s biggest city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
The mayhem started an hour before sunset on Tuesday as residents of the farming community were heading home from their fields, where they grow yams, maize and millet.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
The pomegranates, squash and apples were in season, pink guavas were so ripe you could smell their heady scent from a distance, and nutrient-packed yams were ready for the holidays.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Traditionally, farmers in Nigeria -- which produces 70 percent of the world's yams -- replant chunks of yams and cassava from the previous year's harvest, to grow this year's crop.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2025
Muralug Island itself, the island nearest Australia, was dry, marginal for agriculture, and supported only a small human population, which subsisted mainly on seafood, wild yams, and mangrove fruits.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
