man-of-the-earth

American  

[man-uhv-thee-urth, -urth] / ˈmæn əv ðiˌɜrθ, -ˈɜrθ /

noun

men-of-the-earth, plural man-of-the-earths plural

1. a morning glory, Ipomoea pandurata, of eastern North America, having white flowers and a very large, tuberous root.

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Etymology

Origin of man-of-the-earth

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

One has to dig deep to find the huge, fleshy, potato-like root from which the vine derived its name of man-of-the-earth.

From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje