wild potato
Americannoun
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a plant, Solanum jamesii, of the southwestern U.S., related to the edible cultivated potato.
Etymology
Origin of wild potato
An Americanism dating back to 1765–75
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.
These conversations confirmed that the wild potato remains known, eaten, and used for spiritual purposes.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
It is a small but hardy and nutritious wild potato that still grows across southwestern North America today, ranging from southern Utah and Colorado into northern Mexico.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
By moving and using this wild potato, they may have begun the earliest stages of domestication while also building a distinctive cultural tradition in the Four Corners region.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 25, 2026
While the wild potato originated in the region along the intersection of Peru and Bolivia, new wild varieties continue to be found in the southwestern section of the United States.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 22, 2017
Taking a cue from Kari’s book, McCandless started to dig and eat wild potato roots on June 24, apparently without ill effect.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
