malanga

[ muh-lang-guh ]

noun

1. a thick, fleshy-leaved South American plant, Xanthosoma atrovirens, of the arum family, having leaves up to 3 feet (90 centimeters) long and nearly 2 feet (60 centimeters) wide.

Word History and Origins

Origin of malanga¹

First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin American Spanish, from Kongo malánga “taro”

Example Sentences

When people form a party and go from village to village, junketing and gossiping, they are said to go on a malanga.

From Project Gutenberg