wild yam

American  

noun

1. any of several uncultivated yams, especially Dioscorea villosa, of the U.S., having a woody, tuberous root.

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Etymology

Origin of wild yam

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

On the list were papaya, neem, asafoetida, figs, ginger, smartweed, wild yam, pennyroyal, black cohosh and angelica.

From Washington Times • Jun. 14, 2019

Some women also take vitamin E for hot flashes, while others are turning to remedies based on such exotics as black cohosh, flaxseed, red clover, dong quai and wild yam.

From Time Magazine Archive

He planted wild yam under her windows that its queer rattles might amuse her, and hop trees where their castanets would play gay music with every passing wind of fall.

From The Harvester by Stratton-Porter, Gene

This peculiar formation of the beak very materially assists the bird in feeding on the potato-loke root, or rather fruit, of the soi, or wild yam, of which it is fond.

From The Call Of The South 1908 by Becke, Louis

The student will look for and compare the following: Iris, figwort, wild yam, catalpa, trumpet-creeper, centauria, mulleins, foxglove, beardtongue, and many other fruits.

From Seed Dispersal by Beal, W. J. (William James)