yam

[ yam ]
/ yæm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR yam ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the starchy, tuberous root of any of various climbing vines of the genus Dioscorea, cultivated for food in warm regions.
any of these plants.
the sweet potato.
Scot. potato(def 1).

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Origin of yam

1580–90; compare Gullah nyam, Jamaican English nyaams, Sranan jamsi < sources in one or more West African languages (compare Wolof nyam(nyam), Fulani nyami to eat, Twi εnãm flesh, ànyinam, ayam’kàw-dé kinds of yam; earlier E forms < Portuguese inhame or Spanish (i)ñame

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH yam

cassava sweet potato yam

Words nearby yam

yalong jiang, yalow, yalta, yalta agreement, yalu, yam, yama, yamagata, yamamoto, yamani, yamasaki
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Content related to yam

Yams Vs. Sweet Potatoes: What’s The Difference?If you're not arguing about politics or whether or not it's time for Grandma to get some more grandchildren, there's one topic that's always guaranteed to make a splash at the Thanksgiving dinner table: Are those yams or sweet potatoes in your holiday casserole?
READ MORE

Words related to yam

spud, tuber, plant, murphy, tater, beet, potato, bulb, root, taro, turnip, jalap, salep

Example sentences from the Web for yam

British Dictionary definitions for yam

yam
/ (jæm) /

noun

any of various twining plants of the genus Dioscorea, of tropical and subtropical regions, cultivated for their edible tubers: family Dioscoreaceae
the starchy tuber of any of these plants, which is eaten as a vegetable
Southern US any of certain large varieties of sweet potato
a former Scot name for the (common) potato

Word Origin for yam

C17: from Portuguese inhame, ultimately of West African origin; compare Senegal nyami to eat
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