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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of cassava

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

Explanation

Cassava is a starchy tuber that comes from a South American shrub of the same name. In tropical countries, cassava is a common staple food. The most cassava is grown and eaten in Nigeria, and it's popular in many places because it grows even when there's not much rain or the soil is poor. Experts estimate that 800 million people depend on cassava. It has to be properly prepared to be safely eaten, either cooked like potatoes or ground into a coarse meal or fine flour. Tapioca, a starch found in pudding and bubble tea, is also made from cassava.

Example Sentences

Tapioca pearls are made from cassava starch, and cassava plants are known to absorb lead and other heavy metals from the soil as they grow.

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

At Canje, he centers ingredients little known in the U.S. including cassareep, a molasses-like syrup made from cassava root.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

In Iguowan, a village of about 300 people, members are saving up for a new cassava grinding machine so they can more easily make -- and sell -- flour.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Meanwhile Klenam and I made the fufu, me pounding the steaming plantain and cassava together in the large wooden mortar while she turned and shaped the blended mass adeptly between each stroke of the pestle.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo