sago

American

[sey-goh] / ˈseɪ goʊ /

noun

a starchy foodstuff derived from the soft interior of the trunk of various palms and cycads, used in making puddings.

sago British

/ ˈseɪɡəʊ /

noun

a starchy cereal obtained from the powdered pith of a sago palm, used for puddings and as a thickening agent

"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

Etymology

Origin of sago

1545–55; earlier sagu < Malay

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.

Menus change seasonally here, but the current menu, Fight Club, highlights Indonesian ingredients like passionfruit with coconut and sago, and rosella with longan.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

The Malaccans also planted orchards of sago palms, which provided an important foodstuff, a starchy ingredient of bread and noodles that was traded throughout the region.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

Common plants to avoid include the sago palm, because it’s toxic to dogs.

From Washington Post • May 4, 2022

Rose garden, greenhouse, playhouse, garage with workshop, sago palms and live oaks.

From Washington Times • Jul. 22, 2021

The sago eaters persisting in lowland swamps exemplify the nomadic hunter-gatherer band organization that must formerly have characterized all New Guineans.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023