arrowroot

[ ar-oh-root, -roo t ]

/ ˈær oʊˌrut, -ˌrʊt /

noun

a tropical American plant, Maranta arundinacea, the rhizomes of which yield a nutritious starch.

the starch itself.

any of several other plants yielding a similar starch.

the starch of these plants, used in cooking as a binder or thickener.

Nearby words

Origin of arrowroot

First recorded in 1690–1700; so called from use of its root in treatment of wounds made by poisoned arrows

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arrowroot

I undressed him and got him safely to bed, while Miss Williams prepared some arrowroot for his supper.
The Stark Munro Letters|J. Stark Munro
The aged and ferocious fire-eaters were sent back to their arrowroot and easy-chairs.
Romantic Spain|John Augustus O'Shea
I remember; you led that silly child Madge to believe that there was a fairy charm in the arrowroot you sent her.
Kenelm Chillingly, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Cocoanut oil and arrowroot are also exported, being gathered by enterprising foreigners who employ the natives.
Under the Southern Cross|Maturin M. Ballou

Plant, I beg you, mignonette to encircle my arrowroot fields.
Sonnets from the Patagonian|Donald Evans

British Dictionary definitions for arrowroot

arrowroot

/ (ˈærəʊˌruːt) /

noun

a white-flowered West Indian plant, Maranta arundinacea, whose rhizomes yield an easily digestible starch: family Marantaceae

the starch obtained from this plant

any of several other plants whose rhizomes or roots yield starch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for arrowroot

arrowroot

1690s, from arrow + root (n.). So called because it was used to absorb toxins from poison-dart wounds.